Mexican television star Maribel Guardia has spent more than three years mourning the death of Julián Figueroa, her only son, born during her marriage to legendary singer-songwriter Joan Sebastian. Now, after a bitter legal battle with his widow, Imelda Tuñón, she says she is being forced to walk away from the little boy who remains her closest connection to him.
In an emotional video released Monday, October 19, Guardia appeared alongside her husband, Marco Chacón, and attorney Alonso Beceiro to announce that she would no longer pursue an imminent reunion with her grandson, José Julián, because of what she described as a plot to falsely accuse her family of abuse.
"With my heart broken," she began, before explaining that the decision came just as she was close to securing visitation rights.
"There is no greater pain for a grandmother than having to give up the chance to hug her only grandson out of a well-founded fear that the embrace could turn into a deadly trap," Guardia said.
The Costa Rican-born actress accused Tuñón's legal team of producing a private expert report containing statements allegedly attributed to the child that accused Guardia and Chacón of aggression. She insisted the accusations were fabricated and claimed her attorney had learned of a plan to use the first family visit to make additional allegations.
Those claims have not been independently substantiated, and no judicial finding establishing such a plot has been reported.
Her attorney added that Tuñón's legal representative is former Mexican Attorney General Antonio Lozano Gracia, who was involved in the judicial frame-up known as "La Paca," which he described as one of the most serious scandals in the country's recent history. According to Beceira, the former official resorted to occult practices and hired a psychic to locate the body of a missing politician.
The lawyer alleged that, to bolster the investigation, the then-attorney general participated in exhuming dismembered remains belonging to several people and planting them on the property of a civilian unconnected to the case, who was subsequently charged with homicide. "It is an abhorrent act for anyone to commit, but even more so for someone whose duty is supposed to be ensuring that justice is served," he said.
The Death of Julián Figueroa and the Family Feud That Followed
Julián Figueroa, the son of Guardia and the late Mexican singer Joan Sebastian, died on April 9, 2023, at age 27. The singer and actor was found dead at his mother's home in Mexico City. At the time, Guardia announced that his death resulted from an acute myocardial infarction and ventricular fibrillation.
Figueroa had followed his famous parents into entertainment, building a career in regional Mexican music and acting, including a role in the telenovela Mi camino es amarte. He left behind his wife, Imelda Garza Tuñón, and their young son, José Julián.
For a time, Guardia and Tuñón continued living together, raising the boy in the home where his father had died. But their relationship deteriorated, eventually erupting into a public legal confrontation in January 2025.
Guardia filed a complaint alleging concerns about her former daughter-in-law's ability to care for the child. Tuñón denied the allegations and accused Guardia of attempting to take her son away.
The boy was temporarily placed in Guardia's care while authorities examined the allegations, but he was subsequently returned to his mother. In June 2025, reports confirmed that Guardia had lost her bid to retain custody.
The legal dispute continued through 2026, expanding beyond custody and visitation into disagreements about Julián Figueroa's estate and the circumstances surrounding his death.
Maribel Guardia's Lawyer Questions What Happened Before Her Son Died
The most serious allegations in Monday's video came from Beceiro, who said the family would continue pursuing several legal complaints, including one seeking to establish whether medication or a failure to provide assistance played any role in Figueroa's death.
"We will get to the bottom of what happened in the final days of Maribel's son's life," Beceiro said in Spanish, according to the recording.
He also said investigators would seek to determine whether someone supplied Figueroa with medication intended to harm him and whether timely assistance might have prevented his death.
The attorney's statements follow a complaint Guardia filed in September 2026 after Tuñón publicly discussed obtaining medication that she said she gave to her late husband.
On October 7, Guardia appeared before the Mexico City Attorney General's Office to ratify the complaint, which Mexican media reported involved possible homicide and offenses against public health. There has been no verified finding that Tuñón caused or contributed to Figueroa's death. The originally reported cause remains a heart attack and ventricular fibrillation.
Beceiro also raised allegations involving documents in the singer's inheritance proceedings and a suspected attempt to poison Chacón. Neither allegation was accompanied by independently verifiable evidence in the recording.
Chacón, meanwhile, argued that the disputed will named José Julián as his father's sole heir, insisting that neither he nor Guardia stood to benefit financially.
He also expressed fears about possible retaliation during the family's travels, making accusations against a relative of Tuñón. Those claims likewise remain unverified.
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