Did the Beyoncé Scene from 'Selena: The Series' Really Happen?
The series shows a young Queen Bey meeting the Tejano superstar at the mall!
Part two of Netflix show Selena: The Series, about the life of legendary Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, just dropped on May 4, but viewers are already buzzing about a scene in episode six ("Lo más bello"). The second part of the series focuses on the biggest events in Selena's career, and how she dealt with her growing fame. By the beginning of part two, she was already a superstar in her home state of Texas. A small but monumental example of Selena's star power is shown in that short scene, when a young female fan is starstruck when crosses paths with Selena at a mall. The name of that young fan? Beyoncé Knowles.
The scene, a chance meeting between current and future superstars, could have been written for the show to highlight just one example of Selena's legacy. After all, Beyoncé has been vocal in interviews about admiring Selena, and both of the singers were born and raised in Southeastern Texas. Was the meeting made up for the show, or did it actually happen? Here's what we know about the scene and its real-life inspiration.
What happens in the Beyoncé scene in Selena: The Series?
The scene shows two Black girls and their mother at an outdoor mall. The girls are headed to a frozen yogurt shop, but the mom tells them to slow down, and tells the older daughter to hold her sister's hand. The older girl stops walking when she sees Selena, and the mom is confused, asking "Who are you looking at? Who's that?" The girl just says, "Selena," with a tone of awe, and the mom, still confused, asks, "Selena? Who's Selena?" The girl, still staring as Selena heads their way, answers, "The famous singer, be quiet." The mom responds, "You're a singer, too. Tell her." (I loved this moment; my parents have done this too.)
When she passes, Selena waves and says, "Hey," to the family. The girl responds with a wistful, "Hi." And then the big reveal: the mom says, "Beyoncé Knowles, you better learn not to be afraid of people if you ever want to be famous too." The line slightly fades into the background, while Beyoncé is still staring at Selena, who looks back at her and smiles.
The scene is only one minute long, but it's a very touching moment in the history of both Selena and Beyoncé. Plus, even without the Beyoncé reveal, it's really sweet to see how loved Selena was before her untimely death at the age of 23. The fact that the family was Beyoncé, Solange and Miss Tina just elevated the moment from sentimental to epic.
Did the Beyoncé and Selena encounter really happen?
Yes! The scene is based off an real-life encounter between the two at the Galleria mall in Houston, TX. Beyonce talked about meeting Selena in an interview with the channel MTV Tres. "I didn't say much to Selena because I wasn't a celebrity, and I just saw her and said hello and kept it moving," Beyoncé recalled.
Beyoncé also called Selena a "legend" and spoke about how Selena inspired her as a musician. "Growing up in Texas, I heard her on the radio, and I think listening to her album, even though I didn't know exactly what she was singing, it helped me in the studio with my pronunciation. She was so talented. I'm very happy that, even though she didn't know who I was, I'm still so excited that I got that opportunity."
Though the show doesn't explicitly say how old Beyoncé was in the scene, she and Selena were born 10 years apart, so if Selena was 22, say, Beyoncé would have been 12 when she met the singer. In a 2007 interview with People en Español that promoted the Spanish songs on her album B'Day Deluxe Edition, Beyoncé said that one of her friends growing up introduced her to Selena's album. "I grew up in Texas and one of my good friends from there is Mexican. She turned me on to Selena's album when I was growing up and I listened to it all the time."
Beyoncé told People en Español that Selena is close to her because she's from Texas, and she would hear about the singer all the time. She also said that the heart and rhythm of Latin music, "and the drums and the spiciness," reminds her of her Creole roots.
Who plays Beyoncé in Selena: The Series?
Young Beyoncé is played by actress and singer Giovanna Bush, whose portrayal looks and sounds remarkably similar to childhood videos of Queen Bey. Bush is from Los Angeles and has primarily appeared in short films, as well as the Disney Channel show Just Roll With It. Bush shared behind-the-scenes photos of her time on the Selena: The Series set on her Instagram last December. In a May 4 post, she said "When you get to play an icon @beyonce, on a show about a Legend @selenaqofficial... Queen Bey, I hope I did you justice."
