Beyoncé Shares B’Day Selena Mashup Amid Escalating Dispute Between Late Singer’s Siblings

There's something powerful about running into a superstar at the mall. The pre-internet shopping, pre-social media, mundane phenomenon doesn't exist anymore. But it's surreal to think about that time, say a time before Beyoncé was Beyoncé, but a Texas teenager who encountered Tejano icon Selena at the Galleria Mall in Houston. Bey has talked about the Mexican-American singer's influence, and that scene has been immortalized in a Netflix series. With a special extended release of 2006's B'Day, we're once again reminded of Selena's impact on pop music.

The year after B'Day's release, Beyoncé shared the EP Irreemplazable, which featured Spanish re-recordings and remixes from her sophomore album. Yesterday's release of the 20th anniversary edition of B'Day also features several Spanish-language songs, including a mashup the Spanish version of "Irreplaceable" and Selena's 1995 hit "Como La Flor." Check it out below.

The approval from Selena Quintanilla's estate made the new release possible, but it comes at a weird time for the Quintanilla family. Earlier this week, it came to light that Selena's brother A.B. Quintanilla III is suing his sister Suzette Quintanilla and mother Marcella Quintanilla. A.B. and Suzette were Selena’s bandmates in Selena y Los Dinos. Suzette is currently managing Selena’s estate. It's unclear what the exact charges or nature of the dispute is about, or even whether there's an actual lawsuit.

Via social media, A.B. is adamant that his family members are aware of a lawsuit that he's filed after years of mounting tension. He's also posted images that suggest lawyers had contacted his family and requested financial records. But, as noted by Hola!, these documents suggesting correspondence between lawyers are different from being legally served.

Suzette and Marcella both deny being served and shared a statement that rejects any implication of "theft by Suzette. Suzette has not stolen, misappropriated, or improperly taken money or property belonging to A.B., Abraham, Marcella, Chris, Selena's estate, or any family-owned or jointly owned business." The full statement reads:

We have seen A.B.'s recent public statement. Because it contains serious and false insinuations concerning Suzette, Abraham, and our family, we feel it is necessary to correct the record.

Marcella has never before felt the need to publicly address private family matters. She is doing so now because statements involving her late husband, her daughter, and her family should not be allowed to stand when they are false.

A.B. states that there is a lawsuit involving Suzette and that a legal process began several months ago.

Suzette has never been served with any lawsuit. She has received no court-filed complaint, summons, petition, or other legal pleading concerning the allegations A.B. is describing. We have also searched available public records for the lawsuit he says exists and, to date, have been unable to locate a publicly filed case matching his description.

So, we ask a simple question: What lawsuit? Where was it filed? What is the case number?

A.B. also refers repeatedly to "years" of family circumstances, “facts," and "evidence" while making serious insinuations concerning Suzette, his father, and this family.
Those insinuations are false.

There was no theft by Suzette. Suzette has not stolen, misappropriated, or improperly taken money or property belonging to A.B., Abraham, Marcella, Chris, Selena's estate, or any family-owned or jointly owned business.

Suzette is not selling, and has no intention of selling, Selena's personal belongings. Any potential sale of an ownership interest in a company is entirely separate and should not be mischaracterized as the sale of Selena's personal items.

We are also unaware of any wrongdoing by Abraham that supports what A.B. now appears to be suggesting about his father.

Words such as "facts" and "evidence" have meaning. If A.B. has evidence that Suzette stole or misappropriated anything, he should present it.

If he is alleging wrongdoing by Abraham, he should clearly state what he is alleging rather than leaving the public to speculate about a man who is no longer here to respond for himself.

And if these claims cannot be identified or supported, insinuations of financial or other misconduct should not be presented to the public as though they are established facts.

We have no interest in attacking A.B., humiliating him, or litigating decades of family history through social media.

We are responding because serious allegations and implications have now been made publicly, and silence should not be mistaken for agreement with statements that are false.

We love A.B. He is our son and brother. But loving someone does not require us to accept false accusations or remain silent while the reputations of Suzette, Abraham, and our family are called into question.

We will continue to protect our family, Abraham's memory, Selena's legacy, and the truth.

- Marcella Quintanilla and Suzette Quintanilla

Contentious family drama aside, Beyoncé's mashup is a reminder of Selena's powerful legacy. Hopefully, it doesn't get overshadowed in whatever legal battles her family might duke out in the future.