Maria Del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor (Born 23rd July 1946; Age: 77 years old) is the wife and now the widow of Vicente Fernández, a Mexican singer, songwriter, actor, and film producer.
Vicente Fernández passed away in late 2021. Villaseñor began to date her husband in the early sixties, and their budding relationship was almost jeopardized by Vicente’s busy schedule. This in itself is one of the hurdles the couple had to overcome in their relationship as they later got married in 1963. They stayed married for close to six decades and welcomed four children together.
The success of Vicente’s career can, in part, be credited to the relationship he had with his wife, Maria del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor. Their relationship had its fair share of problems, especially due to the musicians philandering ways. Despite all this, throughout his career, it was clear that Vicente Fernández and Maria del Refugio had a loving relationship, one that led to the creation of a very large family.
Summary of Maria del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor’s Bio
- Full name: Maria del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor
- Nickname: Dona Cuquita
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: 23 July 1946
- Maria del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor’s Age: 77 years
- Ethnicity: Latina
- Nationality: Mexican
- Zodiac Sign: Leo
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Widow
- Maria del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor’s Husband: Vicente Fernandez
- Maria del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor’s Children: Vicente Jr, Alejandro, Gerardo, and Alejandra
- Sibling: Gloria Villaseñor
- Maria del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor’s Net Worth: $5 million
- Famous for: Beng Vicente Fernandez’s wife
What is Maria Del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor’s Age Now?
Maria del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor was born on the 23rd of July 1943, which puts her present age at 77 years. She is a Latina Mexican who grew up in the town of Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Details about her parents and siblings are not available, but it is certain that she has at least two siblings. She has a brother who was friends with Vicente (through whom they met) and a sister named Gloria, whose daughter she later adopted.
There is not a lot of information on the upbringing and life of Maria del Refugio. Not much is known about her life before marrying Vicente. The Mexican beauty led a quiet life before she got married, and even during the marriage, she also managed to stay out of the spotlight.
Maria del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor Became Vicente Fernández’s Wife in 1963
Maria del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor met Vicente Fernández through her brother, who was friends with him while they were growing up in Huentitan, Jalisco. They became friends before he asked her out, and they began to date. The early days of their relationship were quite rosy as Vicente was enamored by Villaseñor’s beauty.
As he began to make headways in his career, Vicente spent less time with her, and their relationship began to deteriorate. He himself advised Villaseñor to move on as he couldn’t give her the quality attention that she deserved. She agreed and began to make concerted efforts to move on. He, however, soon realized that he couldn’t live without her and began to take steps to woo her back.
After she agreed and got back with him, he made extra efforts to work on their relationship and got engaged before finally getting married on the 27th of December 1963.
For a lot of people who work in the entertainment industry, getting married to someone else who works in the same industry is the norm, but for Vicente Fernández, this is not the case. This man, who would go on to become one of the biggest stars in Latin America, chose to marry a woman who had no inklings or desire to become a star.
How Many are Maria del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor’s Children With Vicente Fernández?
Maria del Refugio and Vicente were married for more than 5 decades, 58 years to be precise, with their marriage only ending when Vicente died. During the course of their time together, the two had 4 children (3 sons and 1 daughter) together, one of whom was adopted. Their children, Vicente Jr., Gerardo, Alejandro, and Alejandra (adopted), have gone on to produce 9 grandchildren who have, in turn, given birth to 6 great-grandchildren.
It is pertinent to point out that of Maria’s 4 children, only 2 take after her in the way that she keeps out of the public’s eye, and these are Gerardo and Alejandra. Vicente Jr. and Alejandro are the more popular Fernández children, with the latter being the more famous of the two. Both of them followed in their father’s footsteps and built successful careers in entertainment.
Maria del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor didn’t have much of a life outside of what she built with her family. While her husband was busy making music and money, she held together their home and children. Her whole life revolves around her children and grandchildren.
Vicente Jr. Fernández
Maria and Vicente had their first child Vicente Jr in 1963. He has chosen to follow in his father’s footsteps in the music industry and isn’t doing so badly. He has released about 4 studio albums and has appeared in a handful of movies and telenovelas.
Sometime in the late 90s, Vicente Jr. was kidnapped. It is believed that the mission of the kidnappers was to get money from the senior Vicente, the patriarch of the family. In a bid to prove their seriousness, the kidnappers chopped off one of his fingers which they then sent to the family and got the ransom they had demanded. This led to the release of Maria del Refugio’s first child.
Vicente Jr. has also made his mother and father joyful parents. He has 4 children Sissi (who is also into music), Vicente, Ramon, and Fernanda.
Alejandro Fernández
Maria’s second child – Alejandro, was born in April 1971. Like his brother and father, Alejandro chose to do music and can be said to be the one who has really taken after his father in terms of the success he has experienced in his musical career. He performs pop and traditional Mexican folk music. He has released several successful albums and has won 2 Latin Grammy Awards.
Ironically, Alejandro’s son Alex seems to have also picked up the musician/entertainment mantle from his father and grandfather. While his musical career is still in the early stages, he has shown lots of potentials, and he is definitely well-loved. Alejandro’s other children are Camila, America, Emiliano, and Valentina.
Gerardo Fernández
Villaseñor’s third son – Gerardo was born in 1976. Unlike the men in the Fernández family, Gerardo chose to work a career path entirely different. It is unclear if he chose not to do music due to the lack of talent or due to the urge to set himself apart and make something for himself outside of what his family has already done.
He has chosen to go into business which includes being a realtor and grooming Thoroughbred horses. Gerardo is also interested in politics and was said to have run for a seat a while back.
Alejandra Fernández
Villaseñor’s fourth and last child – Alejandra, was born in 1984. Alejandra is not Villaseñor’s biological daughter. Her biological mother is Gloria – a sister to Villaseñor, but she was legally adopted by Villaseñor, who raised her.
The adoption of Alejandra happened after Maria del Refugio’s sister had been living with the Fernández family for a while. During this time, while she lived with them, she was raising her daughter Alejandra who was still a child. For the longest time, Alejandra thought that her mother was her sister, such that when her actual mother left her with the Fernández, Alejandra had no problems properly assimilating into her aunty’s family, this led to the family eventually officially adopting her.
Just like her brother Gerardo, Alejandra has chosen not to pursue a musical career. She is also in the entertainment industry as a model and fashion designer.
Maria Del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor and Vicente Fernández Remained Together Despite Several Allegations of Infidelity
As is expected, Vicente Fernández was often in the news for things other than his work as an entertainer. One such thing was the several women he was supposedly having affairs with. It came out multiple times that the singer was involved with a number of women, all of which he denied. Some of the people he allegedly had affairs with are Mexican actresses Paty Navida and Merle Uribe.
Moreover, while rambling on social media, he made an assertion that even though he was not a saint, has never been caught cheating. This also implies that he definitely hasn’t remained faithful throughout his married life. Despite all this, Villaseñor never made any public statement about any of this. If she chose to address the issue with her husband, she must have done it privately, as they maintained a united front and stayed together through it all.
In 2021, he came under smoke again for the improper placement of his hand on a fan’s breast while taking a picture with her. He took to Facebook to respond that he placed his hands on her waist, but he was condemned nonetheless. He later posted a loving picture of himself and his wife, thanking her for being the love of his life. People were still unimpressed and criticized him for all he had put his wife through.
In the same year, he was accused by Lupita Castor of sexual assault, which occurred 4 decades prior while he was married. Castro claimed never to have spoken about it out of fear.
Two years before all of this, Vicente had needed to get a Liver transplant, but he had rejected it. When he spoke to the press about his decision, he made a joke that he did not want to have the liver of another man in him while he had sex with his wife. To compound this, he made references to how it might be the liver of a man who was gay or had a history of drug abuse.
In all of these scandals and outbursts, Maria del Refugio has been somehow involved as his actions either disrespected her or indicted her as the reason for his behavior. Still, she did not make a public comment about the accusations of infidelity, sexual harassment, or his supposedly “bigoted statements.”
Villaseñor Continues To Preserve Her Husband’s Legacy After His Death
Maria del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor, against all odds, remained married to Vicente Fernández until his death in December 2021. When he was alive, he was one of the most prominent musicians in the Mexican industry until his death. He has been described as a cultural icon for Latin American music.
Over the course of a long career that started in busking to having over 100 albums, Fernández has done the required work that made it possible for him to earn the title of El idolo de Mexican. It is only natural that family and fans accord him the deserved respect after his passing, and they have all paid him a glowing tribute.
Despite the controversies surrounding Vicente, his talent was undeniable, and he was well-loved. He was quite vocal in showering his family with love, accolades, and affection. Villaseñor, who has been beside him the longest, is bound to miss him more. She presently continues to live in the ranch they have called home for several decades and has continued to keep things together on the home and business front.
Villaseñor is very committed to protecting her husband’s legacy, and an instance was when Olga Wornat-an Argentine writer who wrote an autobiography about Fernández which was not authorized, she was quick to express her displeasure and condemned plans to make a TV series about her husband based on the book. She has come out of her shell to defend his legacy and even restated that the project was tantamount to image right theft.
Meet Maria Del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor’s Grandchildren and Great-Grand Children
It is a thing of joy to watch your children give birth to their own children, and Maria has been blessed in this capacity. From Her four children, she has about nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
List of Maria Del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor’s Grandchildren include:
- Vicente
- Sissi
- Ramon
- Fernanda
- America
- Camila, Valentina
- Alejandro Jr
- Emiliano
Maria Del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor’s great-grandchildren include:
- Cayetana
- Emilio
- Antonella
- Carlotta
- Luca
- Mia
Maria del Refugio was with her husband during his final hours, and as there is not a lot of information on her life, it is not clear how she spent her days while she was married to Vicente or how she spends her days now. It can be assumed that she still lives in the house they shared in Mexico, surrounded by her incredibly large family.
