Fallen pop star Gloria Trevi, known as the “Mexican Madonna,” was found not guilty yesterday (Sept. 21) on charges of rape, kidnapping and corruption of minors.
Chihuahua state judge Javier Pineda ordered the immediate release of Trevi and former backup singer María Raquenel Portillo. Both were being held at a prison in Chihuahua and were facing up to 25 years behind bars.
“We did not find sufficient evidence to support [the charges],” Pineda told TV network Azteca.
Trevi, former manager Sergio Andrade and Portillo, also known as Mary Boquitas, were arrested in January 2000 in Rio de Janeiro. They fled Mexico after being accused of luring young girls into a cult-like pornographic ring.
Former vocalist Karina Yapor, who filed criminal charges against the so-called Trevi clan in the northern state of Chihuahua, alleged that backup group recruits wanting to join the band were forced to have sexual relations with Andrade. Yapor claimed Trevi and Portillo acted as accomplices.
Trevi and Portillo spent a total of four years and eight months in jail. The two were eventually extradited to Mexico. But during Trevi’s stay in a Brazilian jail, she became pregnant and gave birth to a child whose father was later determined to be Andrade.
Trevi, one of the most successful, celebrated and controversial female pop acts that Mexico has produced in recent years, was known for her provocative live shows and her defiant songs. She was at the height of her popularity in the 1990s, but the allegations against her forced her to go on the lam at the end of that decade.
Upon her release, Trevi told the press that she’s working on a new album with her longtime label, BMG, with plans to release it in November. She’s also been approached for a soap opera based on her life.
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