Maribel Guardia

Actor and singer Julián Figueroa, the son of the late Mexican music icon Joan Sebastian and actress Maribel Guardia, died on Sunday (April 9) in Mexico City. He was 28.
“It saddens me to announce the passing of my beloved son Julián Figueroa, who has unfortunately preceded us in parting from this level,” Guardia posted on her Instagram account.

Guardia said Figueroa was found unconscious in his room while she was at the theater. “They called 911 and when the ambulance and police arrived, they found him already lifeless, with no traces of violence. The medical report indicates that he died of an acute myocardial infarction and ventricular fibrillation,” she said.

Guardia added that the funeral services will be held privately, and asked that the family’s privacy be respected at this painful moment.

Just a day before, Figueroa had published a heartfelt tribute to his father, who would have turned 72 on Saturday.

“How slowly 8 years have gone by, since the day you left time tastes more bitter. And people proclaim that time is a fix for everything, but this is a vile lie, it hurts more every day, and this is without fear of hurting sensibilities,” the artist wrote on his social networks, next to a photo of himself as a child, with his father. “The fans cry LONG LIVE THE PEOPLE’S POET, but I don’t give a damn, I ONLY LOVE MY DAD.”

Figueroa was known for songs such as “Pídeme,” “Volaré,” “Cómo Olvidar” and “Necesito de Ti,” among others. According to El Universal newspaper, he had finished recording his first solo album and was preparing its release. His last stint as an actor was in the Televisa-Univision telenovela Mi Camino Es Amarte.

He is the third of Sebastian’s eight children to pass away. The first was Trigo Figueroa, who was murdered in 2006 by fans of his father who insisted on entering the singer’s dressing room; and the second was Juan Sebastián, also murdered in 2010 outside a bar where he apparently had an argument with local security staff.

In addition to his mother, Julián Figueroa is survived by his wife, Ime Garza; his 6-year-old son, José Julián; and his siblings José Manuel, Juliana, Zarelea, Marcelina and Joana.

Read Maribel Guardia’s full statement below: