Family of ‘genre-defining artist’ Jenni Rivera accept posthumous Hollywood star

The five children of trailblazing Latin musician Jenni Rivera have accepted a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a “bittersweet moment” for the family.

As the female leader of the Mexican banda genre, singer-songwriter Rivera was known globally as La Diva de la Banda but died in December 2012 when she and six others were killed in a plane crash.

During the ceremony, Rivera’s five children – Jacqie, Johnny, Chiquis, Jenicka, and Michael – each took to the stage to share emotional memories of their mother, who died at the age of 43.

Jacqie said: “If I can be honest, this is a very bittersweet moment because I wish she could be here and we can once again witness a beautiful smile on her face and we’d be able to hear the witty speech she would have delivered.”

While Michael said it was a “monumental moment” celebrating “the accomplishments of a genre-defining artist, radio personality, TV personality, philanthropist, aspiring actress and mother-of-five”.

Chiquis said: “It is such an honour to be the daughter of such an amazing woman.

“A woman that accomplished so much yes, but more than anything, being the daughter of a woman who has left her footprint on this earth and in so many people’s hearts, even if it’s been almost 12 years.”

Jenicka dedicated the day to her siblings because “the road to get here for us emotionally, has been really hard” but that the Walk of Fame star served as proof that “your dreams can come true no matter the circumstances, it is possible”.

“My mother was a praying, powerful, intentional, and a very intimidating woman,” she said.

While Johnny added: “I feel like everyone knows what a talented and important figure my mother is in music, but I wanted to highlight a part of her that I feel she really wanted to be remembered for – and that’s her philanthropy.

“My mother’s greatest strength was her heart.”

The Jenni Rivera Love Foundation aids and supports single mothers and victims of domestic and sexual abuse.

In 2016 they opened Jenni’s Refuge, a shelter for women and children in Long Beach, California.

A few months after her death, the Grammy museum debuted a new exhibition titled Jenni Rivera, La Gran Senora to illustrate how “Rivera used her music and celebrity to abolish female stereotypes that existed in Mexican music for many years”.

She won four Latin Grammy award nominations during her career.

Following her death, her children shared their own reality TV show from 2016 to 2019 named The Riveras, documenting their determination to honour their mother’s legacy.