“Cocaine and sleeping pills were a lethal combination”

July 23, 2004. The news of the sudden death of Carmina Ordóñez shocks all of Spain. The Divine, as she was affectionately nicknamed, had been Found dead in the bathtub of her home early in the morning by her assistant. She was 49 years old and left behind a sister (who never got over her death), three children, a granddaughter and an indelible mark on the hearts of all who knew her. Next Tuesday marks 20 years since the tragic death that marked a dark chapter in the gossip and non-gossip chronicles of an entire country.

Since then, her three children have tried to honour her memory, although what Carmina would have liked most was for them to remain united and without tensions for life, as has not always been the case. On the death of her mother, Fran Rivera has spoken again just a few days before the sad anniversary: ​​”It was not necessary to disclose the result. Why?”says Lourdes Montes’ husband The world about his mother’s autopsy that was never published.

Cayetano Rivera’s brother has never hidden the reason why his mother died. On the contrary, he has always tried to make the problem of drugs and addictions visible in order to raise awareness and prevent other families from going through these situations: “There was nothing unusual to reveal. My mother died because of cocaine. Drugs are a problem that has terrible consequences and even more so if they are combined, as in her case, with the use of sleeping pills. It was a lethal combination.”.

In this regard, he adds: “We all know that when drugs enter a home, disaster strikes. It is a terrible disease that destroys families, loved ones, and causes enormous suffering.”.

This is how Fran remembers the night her mother died: “They were partying and when it was over, everyone left. My mother wanted to take a bath, but the mixture of one substance to go up and another to go down was catastrophic. It was like playing Russian roulette.”.

Fran Rivera was 25 years old when he lost his mother: “Even if you try really hard to help your mother out of this situation, there are times when she can’t take it anymore.”regrets. In this regard, Tana Rivera’s father adds: “Adults if they don’t really want to, there’s nothing to do.You can help if they let you help them. You can do everything you can, but the first thing is that the person has to accept that they have a problem and that they want to get out of it.“In Spain, it is illegal to compulsorily admit someone with this problem to a detox clinic. If they want, they can walk out the door the next day,” he complains.

Cayetano Rivera and Julián Contreras’ brother does not blame third parties for his mother’s death: “I don’t blame my mother’s friends. They adored her. They loved her very much, even though they hurt each other.But they also protected each other when needed. They have always been there when needed. It is also true that when you play basketball you meet people who play basketball, you know what I mean, that’s how it is.“.

However, Fran is clear and points to drugs as the only thing responsible for her decline: “But my mother had wonderful friends who were with her through everything, who have suffered and some of whom are still suffering. I talk to them and I tell them: ‘Hey, this is really bad. ‘ And they want to get out, but they can’t stop. And that’s where we are, supporting as much as we can. But no, I don’t blame her friends, on the contrary, I thank them for continuing to be with her in the front row for more years.“.

Regarding the speculations that still continue to surface today about the death of the Divine, he says angrily: “It is shameful that after so many years there is still this determination to find something that did not exist.. Absurd things have been said and everything is much simpler. We have lost an exceptional mother, an incredible woman whom we miss very much.But there are no more stories. And it is good to talk about your problem to help others and to convey to them that the path of drugs is always disastrous.“.

Carmina Ordonez

Born in Madrid on May 2, 1955, she was the eldest daughter of the bullfighter Antonio Ordóñez and Carmen Dominguín. Together with his inseparable sister Belén, he lived a dream childhood, between Madrid and Paris, by plane (when it was not at all common), and with a sparkling social life that she shared with her soul mate, Lolita Flores.

A great lover of Andalusia, she fell madly in love with the most handsome bullfighter of the moment, Paquirri.They were married on February 16, 1973 in the church of San Francisco el Grande, when she was only 17 years old, in front of more than 1,500 guests. With him she had her first two children, Fran and Cayetano.They separated in 1979 and their marriage, due to her youth, was declared null and void and she refused any financial help from the bullfighter: “At home I was taught that what is earned with the bulls is for the one who puts himself in front of the horns.” In addition, it was during this time that she began to popularize her most characteristic phrase: “I don’t care, I am Ordóñez Dominguín.”

Years later, Carmina fell in love with a romantic singer-songwriter, Julián Contrerasand married for the second time in a civil ceremony in Miami, on March 30, 1984, with an exceptional godfather: his son Fran. From that union was born their third and last son, Julián.In 1990, Carmen, her husband and her youngest son They moved to live in Marrakech, whose culture was one of their passions, along with the Virgen de la Esperanza de Triana, Seville and El Rocío..

After separating from Julián in 1994, Carmen returned to Spain and met the man who would become her most controversial husband, Ernesto NeyraThey said “I do” on November 7, 1997, in a country house near Seville. Their relationship was marred by drugs, excesses and even accusations of mistreatment. She was honest once separated: “I have always denied it because I have three children, my father was alive and, as a woman, it seemed undignified to me to live with a person who attacked me. I put up with him because I loved him, but the day my son Julián, aged 12, threw himself behind him and shouted ‘Don’t kill my mother!’ I decided that that couldn’t be.”

Another of the loves that left a mark on the heart of the Divine was Pepe el MarismeñoThey enjoyed a beautiful relationship for a year, but eventually the age difference between them (she was 15 years older than him) and bad habits ended up separating them. Once he had recovered from his addictions, the musician declared: “I have snorted lines of cocaine with Carmen.”

In the late 90s he publicly acknowledged his sleeping pill addiction y other harmful substances but, determined to recover and be a new woman, she entered a rehabilitation center where she stayed for several months. Her presence as a panelist on the program By your side, Martian Chronicles and her exclusive covers in social magazines recounting her intimate details did not go unnoticed, something that was not at all liked by her children, Fran, whom she walked down the aisle at his wedding with Eugenia Martínez de Irujo, and Cayetano, whom she also sponsored at his wedding with Blanca Romero.

At the young age of 49 and after years of fighting his demons, Carmen died in her Madrid home after fainting in the bathtub. She was cremated and her ashes scattered between Tangier and the Marshes of Rocío. by his express wish: “I stopped being afraid of death when I realized that there are more people who love me there than here.”