On September 28, 2025, a young couple vacationing from Mexico were seated at the at the upscale L’Avenue Restaurant at 41 Avenue Montaigne in Paris France, enjoying a bowl of French onion soup. The restaurant has long been a favorite spot to catch a glance of notable global celebrities. However the pair were shocked to find that they were given an excellent view of an individual at a nearby table at what many believe to be Alberto Aguilera Valadez, better known by his stage name Juan Gabriel, the “Divo de Juárez” that supposedly died years ago.
The man in the video, captured on the TikTok account of @fidelmarinlol, appeared to be about 75 years old – the age that Juan Gabriel would be today, right down to the distinctive marks on his right cheek. He has the same hand gestures, the clothing, eyes, and jawline. Facial analysis with AI (tools like Face++) show a 92% similarity, and given the passing of time, this would be a very high rate.
The video has gone viral on all of the social media sites, accumulating a global following of fans with thousands of debates between believers and skeptics. On Telemundo’s “Al Rojo Vivo” the video received 200 thousand views in a day.
It would be easy to pass off this sighting as a one-off, except that there have been other credible sightings over the past nine years. And, the fact that Juan Gabriel’s former manager and confidant, Joaquín Muñoz, claimed in his book published in 2018 that he and Gabriel faked the death to escape debts, scandals, and harassment that came with his fame.
Muñoz claims that the then 66-year-old Gabriel had grown weary of his advancing age and exhausting touring and sought retirement on a quiet ranch in Morelos that had been offered to him by an acquaintance, or perhaps another offer of a villa in Italy. Supposedly, they acquired a fake identity, and simulated a heart attack, to occur on August 28, 2016 in Santa Monica, California. The deception was complete without an autopsy or disclosed DNA, after being whisked away on a private jet back to Mexico. The press releases created by Muñoz are the only suggestion that the death occurred. The coffin supposedly containing the body of Gabriel was cremated and his family home in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, was said to became the resting place for his ashes.
To add to the mystery of Juan Gabriel’s supposed death is that the singer’s CURP is still active despite having spent years of the artist’s death. While not proof of Gabriel still living, as it can take up to a year in most cases for the system to catch up, it does show that a death certificate has never been issued in Mexico.
The sighting could not have come at a better time, as Netflix will release “Juan Gabriel: Debo, Podemos y Quiero,” on October 30, 2025. The four-episode documentary series has unreleased material from the Divo’s personal archive. The trailer, released on August 28 – the anniversary of his death – shows homemade films of JuanGa composing “Amor Eternal” and confessing struggles with his identity in the 70’s. Produced by his son Iván Aguilera, the series promises to “reveal the man behind the icon”, with testimonies of Joan Manuel Serrat and Luis Miguel.
The Hollywood Reporter suggest that the timing is perfect for generating buzz: “These ‘appearances’ are gold for the upcoming Netflix series as they revive the artist without spending on advertising.”
Gabriel’s Fortune
Juan Gabriel, born in Paracuaro, Michoacán, in 1950 as Alberto Aguilera Valadez, was more than a singer: he was a cultural phenomenon that broke gender and class barriers with ballads that spoke of forbidden love, poverty and Mexican pride. He sold more than 100 million records, and 60 million certified albums, won a Latin Grammy and a Billboard lifetime, and his concerts at the Zócalo in Mexico City gathered 210 thousand sale in 1997 alone – a still unbeatable record.
By law, the ongoing royalties of Gabriel’s recordings continue to be paid to his family and will continue to accumulate for in perpetuity
Besides the ongoing royalties, Gabriel’s fortune was valued at US$30 million ($551 million Mexican pesos) in 2016. Gabriel was placed at No. 18 among the richest singers in the world. In 2015 alone, he earned US$11 million ($202 million Mexican pesos). Gabriel’s estate is administered by Ivan Aguilera, the eldest of his sons who held a very close relationship with his father and worked for him at the time. Gabriel’s close friend, Silvia Urquidi, is the administrator of Gabriel’s real estate holdings in the United States and Mexico, including a 39.5-acre (16-hectares) ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The property contains the main house, a small chapel, a recording studio, and 56 guest bedrooms. Another property in Gabriel’s native Michoacán was a retreat that included a private home, with recording studios, with cabins and bungalows for guests.
Either alive or not, the family has enough revenue to continually support Juan Gabriel’s legacy. And, what better way to support the future of Juan Gabriel than keeping the public discussions alive.
