All About Joan Sebastians Children and Their Battle For Inheritance

Publish date: 2024-08-25

Joan Sebastian’s children are eight from five different relationships. He had five sons named José Manuel Figueroa, Trigo de Jesús Figueroa, Juan Sebastián Figueroa, Julian Figueroa, and Zarelea Figueroa, as well as three daughters named Marcelia Figueroa, Juliana Figueroa, and D’Yave Figueroa.

Prior to his demise in 2015, Mexican singer and songwriter, Joan Sebastian, enjoyed a four-decade-long music career that saw him reportedly compose more than a thousand songs. Before embarking on that glittering music career, the Mexican songwriter had initially trained to be a Catholic priest but ultimately ended up becoming a father to eight children. Two of those children died before him, and another recently joined him in the afterlife.

A significant glare of the spotlight landed on Joan Sebastian’s kids after his death because of the battle for his inheritance that followed, a battle that commenced because the singer did not leave any will behind. Here’s what we know about Joan’s children and their battle for inheritance.

Joan Sebastian’s Children Are From Five Different Women

Born Jose Manuel Figueroa Sr. on April 8, 1951, in Juliantla, Guerrero, Mexico, Joan Sebastian had an expansive love life that often led to romantic relationships with several women including the five women that bore his eight children. He had his first three children, Jose Manuel Figueroa Gonzalez, Juan Sebastian Figueroa Gonzalez, and Trigo de Jesus Figueroa Gonzalez, from his marriage to his first wife Teresa Gonzalez.

Not much is known about Teresa except that she was reportedly married to the late songwriter for quite a while from 1973 to 1986. Not long after his marriage to Teresa ended, Joan embarked on another romantic dalliance with actress Maria del Carmen Ocampo. That relationship eventually led to the birth of his first daughter, Zaralea Figueroa Ocampo.

In 1992, Joan Sebastian exchanged marital vows with Maribel Guardia. Guardia was a model and beauty queen best known for winning the Miss Costa Rica beauty pageant in 1978. She was also quite involved in the movie industry as an actress and was married to the late musician for about four years until their divorce in 1996. However, their time as a married couple led to the birth of a son named Jose Julian Figueroa Guardia.

We have yet to ascertain exactly when Joan Sebastian married his third wife Alina Espin but we can confirm that the Mexican woman of whom very little is known managed to give Sebastian two more children in the form of daughters Joana Marcelia Figueroa Espin, and D’Yave Figueroa Espin.

The talented songwriter welcomed his youngest child, a daughter named Juliana Joeri Figueroa Alonso, from his 12-year relationship with her mother Erica Alonso. Despite the significant number of years that they were together, Joan never married her.

Jose Manuel Figueroa Gonzalez is Joan Sebastian’s Oldest Child

Jose Manuel Figueroa Gonzalez was born on May 15, 1975, in an unnamed health facility in Chicago, Illinois, United States. He is currently 48 years old, and the fact that he was born in the United States makes him an American citizen. However, given his ancestry, he can also claim his Mexican heritage through his parents.

Speaking of parents, Jose Manuel is the oldest child of the late singer Joan Sebastian whom he had from his first-ever marriage to fellow Mexican Teresa Gonzalez. Their marital union, if several sources on the matter are proven accurate, lasted for about thirteen years from 1973 to 1986. Those dates further confirm the fact that Jose Manuel was barely a teenager when his parents split up.

Nonetheless, the singer spent his formative years in Chicago but the details of his formal educational background have yet to become public knowledge.

Jose Manuel is also in Show Business

Jose Manuel Figueroa Gonzalez is the perfect illustration of the fact that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. That premise is well-established in the fact that he actively earns a living primarily from following in his father’s footsteps as a singer. His interest in the world of music began at a very young age, and he honed the skills that came with that interest to a fine edge with the support and guidance of his late father.

His impact in the world of music has also been keenly felt as he has been touted as the singer responsible for rebranding the ranchera musical genre with the aid of unique musical arrangements.

It is worth recognizing the fact Joan Sebastian’s oldest son signed his first recording deal with Fonovisia record label in 1994, when he was just a 19-year-old teenager before releasing his debut album titled Expulsado del Paraiso the very next year in 1995. The album received positive reviews and has sold more than 30 million copies globally.

He did not rest on the laurels of his first album, and his dedication and hard work were made evident in the fact that he went on to release several other albums including Jose Manuel Figueroa (1998), Mala Hierba (1999), A Caballo (2000), Immortal (2004), Rosas y Espinas (2013), No Estas Tu (2017), and most recently Paso a Pasito (2022).

While he actively represents his family legacy in the world of music, Jose Manuel’s sphere of influence has spread to include active involvement as an actor.m he was chosen to portray his late father in his latter years in the TV series Por Siempre Joan Sebastian, a series that was dedicated to the life and memory of his father.

Before he participated in the series which premiered on June 27, 2016, he had been involved, as an actor, in the production of several other TV series including La hora pico (2000) and Todo Incluido (2013).

Jose Manuel Figueroa Gonzalez is a Father of Two

Jose Manuel prefers to keep details of his personal life away from the media and the public, and as such, there is very little information about his love life including whether he is married or in any committed romantic relationship. According to several sources though, the talented musician is a father of two children namely Gabriela and Nikolas.

However, we have yet to ascertain the identity or identities, depending on whether there is more than one woman responsible for the birth of those two children.

Juan Sebastian Figueroa Gonzalez was the second child of Joan Sebastian

Juan Sebastian Figueroa Gonzalez is the second son of Joan Sebastian. Chronologically, he is also the late singer’s second child and the second child he had with his first wife Teresa Gonzalez. While there is no official confirmation of facts, it is most likely that Juan Sebastian was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States like his older brother Jose.

Joan’s second oldest child was born on August 17, 1977, around four years after his parents had officially become man and wife. Nonetheless, he was only about nine years old when they both decided they had had enough of being married to each other. The end of his parents’ marital union did not prevent them from providing the best quality of life for Juan including in the areas of his academics.

However, the details of his academic achievements have yet to see the light of day, and one is left to speculate on the matter. The same theory applies to what he did for a living even though he was most likely in show business.

Juan Sebastian was Murdered in 2010

Juan Sebastian is one of two of Joan Sebastian’s children who died before him. It didn’t help that the circumstances surrounding his demise were as brutal as they come. Juan was shot and killed in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, on June 12, 2010. The reports about his murder claimed that he had been denied entrance into a nightclub and that the melee that followed ultimately led to him being shot, and subsequently dying from the bullet wounds.

Given his high-profile family, the news of his death quickly spread like wildfire with several speculations about the people responsible for his murder not the least of which was that the Mexican drug cartel was the culprit. It was a speculation that did not hold much water and was further discredited by the deceased’s father who revealed that the cartel had nothing to do with the death of his son.

Juan’s personal life never saw the light of day, and it was difficult to determine if he was married or single. The late celebrity child was only 32 years old when he met his unfortunate end.

Trigo de Jesus Figueroa Gonzalez was Joan Sebastian’s Last Child with his First Wife

Trigo de Jesus Figueroa Gonzalez was born on June 25, 1979, around six years after his parents’ marriage to each other. Not much information is available concerning the details of his birth, including where he was born, except for the fact that he is the youngest of Joan Sebastian’s three children, and sons, from his first marriage to Teresa Gonzalez.

Trigo was educated but the extent of his academic background has yet to be determined. In terms of what he did for a living, it was said that the late singer’s equally late son did not share the musical talent that ran in the family but that such simple matters did not prevent him from being involved in the music industry.

According to several sources, he served as one of his father’s collaborators and was often tasked with going with him on tours, ensuring that everything was in order, especially security, and generally just being there for his father when needed.

Trigo de Jesus Figueroa was also Shot Dead

Trigo de Jesus Figueroa became the first of Joan Sebastian’s children to kick the bucket after he was also brutally murdered by gunshot in 2006. According to the reports, he had followed his dad on one of his many trips, and after his performance at Mission, Hidalgo County, in Texas, in the United States on August 27, 2006, the crowd became rowdy, and it fell on Trigo to ensure calm.

However, the methods he employed to carry out his duty did not meet the approval of some members of the crowd, and they reacted by pulling their guns to fire into the crowd. The sound of the gunshots reignited the pandemonium with everyone trying to find a safe place to escape to.

Trigo was quite unlucky in his attempt because one of the men carrying the gun hunted him down and delivered two gunshots to the back of his head. He was taken to McAllen Medical Center but succumbed to the wounds he sustained from the gunshot shortly after he arrived at the medical facility.

Trigo de Jesus was buried at Juliantla, Taxco de Alarcón Municipality, Guerrero, Mexico.

Zarelea Figueroa Ocampo is Joan Sebastian’s Oldest Daughter

Zarelea Figueroa Ocampo was born on August 23, 1988, and is currently 35 years old. Chronologically, she is the fourth child of the late singer Joan Sebastian but she is also the singer’s oldest female child. Several sources have indicated that Zarelea was born in Mexico but the exact location of her birth in the North American country is unknown.

Additionally, she is the product of the late musician’s romantic dalliance with Mexican actress Maria del Carmen Ocampo. The finer details of her parents’ relationship including exactly when they started dating, and for how long is as yet unknown but we can confirm that Zarelea’s mother is not one of the women her father married.

Zarelea was reportedly raised in Mexico but we have yet to ascertain the details of her academic qualifications.

Zarelea Figueroa Ocampo is a Singer and a Songwriter

Despite the fractured nature of her parents’ relationship, Zarelea Figueroa Ocampo is blessed with the gift of music like her father. According to several reports, she is signed to CHR Records under whose platform she launched her debut album Te Recuerdo Bonito in May 2017. She also released the music video for The Monster, one of the songs on the album in the same month. Anyone who has seen the music video would have noticed the fact that she featured her father in the video.

Her first album, which she described as a mixture of mariachi and banda received positive reviews. Aside from her musical career, Joan Sebastian’s oldest daughter is also a social media influencer with an active social media presence across many known platforms like Twit, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and others.

Joan Sebastian’s oldest daughter is a happily married woman

Zarelea keeps the details of her personal life on the low key but sources close to her have confirmed that she is a happily married woman. Her husband’s name is Giovanny Verea, and they have at least two children together. We have yet to determine how, when, or where they met, as well as when they got married.

Jose Julian Figueroa Fernandez was the Only Child from Joan Sebastian’s Second Marriage

Jose Julian Figueroa Fernandez was born on May 2, 1995, in Texas, United States, a fact that ensured his nationality as an American city. However, his national identity was not as cut and dry as his birthplace suggests because he was also Mexican through his father and had Costa Rican ancestral roots through his mother Maribel Del Rocio Fernandez (Maribel Guardia).

Juliancito, as he was fondly called by his equally late father, was only about a year old when his parents called time on their 4-year marriage which was contracted in 1992. Details of his formal educational background have yet to become public knowledge but he was part of the late singer’s children to uphold the family music legacy.

Juliancito was a Singer, Songwriter, and Actor

As previously mentioned, Juliancito chose to ply the route of the family musical legacy as a way to fend for himself. According to reports, he was also a songwriter whose primary musical genre was ranchero pop.

The late singer also found other outlets for his creative abilities, and one of them was through acting. He was chosen to portray a younger version of his late father in the TV series Por Siempre Joan Sebastian.

Juliancito was Found Dead in his Home in April 2023

On April 9, 2023, Jose Julian Figueroa Fernandez was found dead in his home. The cause of his death has yet to be determined but no foul play was suspected. Before his death, Juliancito was happily married to singer Imelda Garza Tunon. They exchanged marital vows in 2017 and later had a son named Jose Julian Figueroa Garza.

Joana Marcelia Figueroa Espin is Joan Sebastian’s Second Daughter

Almost immediately after the end of his marriage to Maribel Guardia, Joan Sebastian tied the knot with Alina Espin. Their union led to the birth of two daughters, and Joana is the first of those daughters. She was born Joana Marcelia Figueroa Espin on February 10, 1998, in Mexico, and is currently 25 years old.

She spent her formative years in her home country but that is the extent of the information we have on what her early life was like.

Joana is an Aspiring Actress

Her social media profiles describe her as an aspiring actress, but she has yet to land any acting gigs. Furthermore, she is also quite the social media personality with over 113k followers on her Instagram page @marceliafigueroa alone.

Joana Figueroa Espin appears to be single at the moment but we have no way of verifying that because she keeps details of her life close to her chest.

What We Know About D’Yave Figueroa Espin, Joan Sebastian’s third daughter

Beyond the fact that she is Joan Sebastin’s third daughter, second with his third wife Alina Espin, not much information is available about D’Yave Figueroa Espin. As a matter of fact, there have been speculations that she is not the late singer’s biological child but those speculations have been put to bed.

Despite not knowing the finer details of her birth such as the date and location, the fact that she is just a few years younger than her older sister Joana suggests that she was born sometime around the late 1990s to early 2000s, and is most likely in her early 20s.

She has yet to intimate the public about the details of her formal educational background, and she appears not to be a musician like her father and some of her siblings. She is instead following in her older sister’s footsteps in an attempt to carve out a niche for herself on social media. Her more than 21k followers on Instagram may not seem like much but it has the potential to become more with time.

Juliana Joeri Figueroa Alonso is Joan Sebastian’s Youngest Child

Juliana Joeri Figueroa Alonso was born on May 8, 2003, in Mexico City, Mexico. She was reportedly named after her father’s late sister who was said to have died when she was only two years old. Juliana seems to have fared better than her late aunt seeing that she is currently 53 years old.

Juliana is the product of Joan Sebastian’s relatively lengthy 12-year relationship with Erica Alonso, one of the women he had a relationship with but never married. According to close sources, Sebastian’s youngest child is a student at Stanford University but her course of study remains unknown.

Juliana Figueroa is also in Show Business

Juliana reportedly started singing at a very young age and was already playing the violin at age 4, a music foundation that paved the way for her to follow in the footsteps of her father as a singer and songwriter, she was just 8 years old when she made her singing debut at the Latin Grammy Awards stage.

She is also quite interested in the world of social media and fashion she has followed up her stated desire of pursuing a career in fashion by picking out a name for her brand, Joeri (women’s outfit), and she has also interned at several prominent fashion house including Carolina Herera and Oscar de la Renta.

Joan Sebastian Died in 2015

Joan Sebastian succumbed to bone cancer on July 13, 2015, at his ranch in Cruz de la Sierra, Teacalco Guerrero, Mexico. He was buried in a cemetery in Juliantla near his son Trigo.

The singer was first diagnosed with the disease in 1999, and by the end of his life, he had engaged in four battles with the disease but lost on the fourth occasion. He left behind an estate that included his $5 million net worth and 51 properties in different Mexican states.

Some of these properties have fallen into disrepair, according to the family lawyer, but this is an assertion that has been rejected by the singer’s youngest daughter Juliana who claims that her father has other assets and bank accounts which has yet to be revealed.

She further accused her older brothers of trying to cheat her out of what is due to her stating that they should not bank on the fact that she lives in relative comfort to deny her what is rightfully hers as she would utilize every legal means to regain what was rightfully hers.

All of Joan Sebastian’s Eight Children were Declared Heirs To his Fortune

Since he did not leave a will that would have expressed his desires concerning his estate, Joan Sebastian’s children have been at odds with one another about who should inherit his estate. That battle rages on and there appears to be no end in sight.

At the time of his death, six of the singer’s eight children were still alive, and the family lawyer Cipriano Sotelo explained that those surviving children would be the singer’s heir and also stated that the children of Trigo and Juan would get what was supposed to go to their deceased parents.

There have also been suggestions that the best way to divide the inheritance of Joan Sebastian among his children would be to sell off some of the properties and divide the monies realized equally among his heirs.

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