Gloria Trevi Caught in New Lawsuit Over Sex-Cult Allegations
One of Mexico’s most beloved pop singers, Gloria Trevi, has once again been accused of “collecting” and exploiting underage girls in the early 1990s for the benefit of her former producer Sergio Andrade.
The two Jane Does have alleged that Trevi, now 54, and Andrade used their “role, status and power” to initiate sexual contact with them over several years when they were just 13 and 15, respectively, with most of the abuse occurring in Los Angeles County. The filing describes the two Jane Does as “survivors of childhood sexual abuse, sexual violence, assault, maltreatment and abuse” at the hands of the defendants and states that they have suffered “significant emotional distress, anxiety, irritability, anger and fear. ” as a result of abuse.
The 30-page lawsuit, a civil case first seen by Variety and first reported Wednesday by Rolling Stone, was filed in Los Angeles on Dec. 30. The records do not use Trevi or Andrade’s names exclusively, and instead identify them anonymously as Jane A are the defendants, but their participation is evident based on descriptions and the corresponding chronology of tours and album releases: Trevi is described as “a famous and popular pop star, and one of the highest paid female artists in Latin America” and Andrade is described as “one of the most successful music producers in Mexico”.
Representatives for Trevi did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment.
The filing narrowly ended the deadline for California’s Child Victims Act, which temporarily suspended the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims for three years.
Trevi and Andrade were first accused of corruption and child abuse in the 1990s, and in January 2000, the pair, along with backup singer María Raquenel Portillo, were arrested for their connection to an alleged sex ring similar to the cult. The arrests were based on the accusations of the former vocalist Karina Yapor who claimed that she was forced to have sexual relations with Andrade.
Trevi served four years in a prison in Chihuahua, but was eventually acquitted of those charges in 2004 and continued her career, releasing chart-topping albums and hosting arena shows. In 2018, she gave an emotional speech at the Latin American Music Awards, where she explained that she was just 15 years old when Andrade, whom she did not identify by name, lured her into a world of abuse and manipulation.
The complaint seeks a trial by jury and damages in an amount to be determined at the time of trial. Trevi is scheduled to play three shows in late January in Mexico City.
