Mexican singer Gloria Trevi has taken legal steps to clear her name from years of controversy involving alleged sexual abuse and rape by her former manager Sergio Andrade.
Trevi, whose real name is Gloria de Los Angeles Trevino Ruiz, has been on stage for years, starting her career at a very young age. Her career has not only included music and movies but has also had years of controversy involving physical abuse and even years behind bars.
The 55-year-old singer is looking to move away from that time and clean up her image from those abuses that, according to her, partly happened in Los Angeles, which is why she's decided to file in California.
"This lawsuit by Trevi against Andrade brings to light again those same accusations that have existed for many years but it comes at a time that Gloria is now part of another lawsuit," said Tomas Mier, a writer for Rolling Stone magazine.
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Mier said the lawsuit comes a year after two anonymous women sued Trevi and Andrade for soliciting young girls with the intent to exploit them during the 80s and 90s. In this lawsuit, Trevi denies Jane Doe's claims that she brought her into the group to become a sex slave when Trevi was 23 and she was 15.
The countersuit was filed in a California court as the singer claims that the abuse in part occurred in Los Angeles and was filed before the end of the year.
"It comes during a time where there is a 'look back' in the state of California where you can talk about sexual abuse allegations that happened years before and that's why this lawsuit against Gloria and Sergio came out earlier because it gave the opportunity to the alleged victims to bring these types of claims to light," said Mier.
Trevi continues to be in the spotlight for decades for her music and controversial look that has classified her as the "Mexican Madonna."
In a statement from her legal team, Trevi said "I decided to take this legal step to fight for justice and send a message that such acts will not be tolerated. No one should have to go through the experiences I went through and I am determined to hold those responsible accountable for their actions."
The lawsuit, according to a legal analyst, can be risky for the singer because it can bring to light those dark moments she lived, but it offers her an opportunity to tell her story and declare an incident.
Sergio Andrade did not respond to NBC4's request for comment.
