As a queer woman born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, journalist Maria Garcia always felt drawn to Juan Gabriel. “It feels like his legacy provides me with the clues to figure out this tension inside of me between these two identities,” Garcia said of the legendary Mexican singer and songwriter. That tension is explored in “Mi Divo,” a new Apple TV+ podcast hosted and executive produced by Garcia, in which she uses Gabriel’s story as a guiding light for her own personal reconciliation with generational family trauma and her identity.
The eight-part series — Apple TV+’s first dual-language podcast — premiered on Monday, with the first two episodes available for nonsubscribers. New episodes of “Mi Divo” are released weekly. The podcast delves into Gabriel’s flamboyant personality, which ruffled against the Mexican patriarchy and often prompted media speculation over his sexuality.
One example included in “Mi Divo” is Gabriel’s now-infamous 2002 interview with “ Primer Impacto ” reporter Fernando del Rincón, who asks if the singer is gay. “They say that what you see, you need not ask,” Gabriel responded curtly. Despite the constant probing, he never came out to the public.
Garcia points out that he also never outright denied being queer, and would often challenge the questions presented altogether. “But Juan Gabriel onstage? Honey, that was queer exuberance,” Garcia said. At the height of his career, el Divo de Juárez would don purple fringe.
