Jenni Rivera, the music superstar affectionately known as “La Diva de la Banda,” was killed in a plane crash near Monterrey, Mexico early Sunday morning.
Mexican authorities confirmed that the wreckage of the small plane had been discovered in Nuevo Leon state and there were no survivors of the seven people believed to be on board.
Born in Long Beach, California, the 43-year-old was one of the most successful female singers in her grupero – a male-dominated style of Mexican folk music.
She sold more than 15 million albums over the course of her career and recently won two Billboard Mexican Music Awards: Female Artist of the Year and Band Album of the Year.
Rivera was also the star of I Love Jenni, a reality show that aired on Telemundo’s mun2 documenting the singer’s life as an entertainer and mother of five children.
(Jenni Rivera and family from “I Love Jenni.)
Her family expressed their immense grief over the loss:
“We are feeling devastated. It’s a devastation to the family,” her brother, Pedro Rivera Jr., told E! News.
He recounted, “We were having a beautiful morning, and then we received the news from my brother [Gustavo]. ‘Go see mom because we can’t find Jenni’s plane, we don’t know what’s happened to her.'”
“I came to my mom’s house. We started getting the news. Then at around 5 p.m., we got confirmation that she was gone. It was so painful.” The family is still awaiting further details on the accident.
As news of her death was revealed, her friends and fellow starts took to Twitter to share messages of condolence.
“My friend! Why? There is no consolation. God, please help me,” wrote pop star Paulina Rubio. Jennifer Lopez wrote “So sad … Praying for Jenni Rivera’s children and family and the passengers families.”
Our hearts go out to the Rivera family, and the family members of the others killed in the crash, during this difficult time.
