Cruise tribute to iconic singer Selena leads to lawsuit from her dad. Why he’s suing

The father of late singer Selena Quintanilla is suing a California cruise line after he said it used images without permission to promote a Selena tribute event.

Abraham Quintanilla Jr. accuses Catalina Classic Cruises, which is based in Long Beach, of promoting a “Cumbia Cruise” featuring an event called “Tributo a Selena,” says the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court on July 10.

The cruise line used a trademarked image of Selena’s signature in materials for the event, the lawsuit says.

The singer’s father is the registered property rights holder for Selena’s “name, voice, signature, photograph and likeness,” as well as the owner of the trademarked signature, the lawsuit says.

Quintanilla “selectively” endorses the use of his daughter’s images and likeness for certain products and entertainment services that he feels are of “acceptably high quality,” the lawsuit says. The entities that use these images must also pay for their use.

In November, Catalina Classic Cruises began promoting a “Cumbia Cruise” event using Selena’s trademarked signature and images of her without consent, the lawsuit says. It did so again on April 10 while promoting an event called “Tributo a Selena,” or “Tribute to Selena,” according to the lawsuit.

The cruise line did not respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

The lawsuit seeks damages of an unspecified amount.

Selena rose to fame as a Tejano singer in Texas and later became “one of the most celebrated Latin American entertainers of the later 20th century,” according to the lawsuit. She was shot to death in 1995 at the age of 23 by the president of her fan club in Corpus Christi, Texas.

This story was originally published July 13, 2023 at 5:03 PM with the headline "Cruise tribute to iconic singer Selena leads to lawsuit from her dad. Why he’s suing."