DANIEL Cuervo’s wife Miriam Rivera was found dead in February 2019 in a suspected suicide — but her husband believes she was murdered.
Here’s everything we know about Mr Cuervo and what happened to his trailblazing trans wife.
Who is the late Miriam Rivera’s widower, Daniel Cuervo?
During her life, Miriam Rivera was married once.
She was wed to Daniel Cuervo, who she lived with in New York City.
He prefers to keep his private information out of the public spotlight, so very little is known about him or his relationship with Miriam.
However, it is understood that Miriam’s husband was the last person to speak to her before her untimely death.
Mr Cuervo told Daily Mail Australia:“On the morning of February 5, Miriam called me [in New York] from Mexico, telling me she was feeling sick and vomiting blood, so I told her to get to the hospital.
“She called me again before leaving the hospital at 12pm and that was the last time we spoke.”
By 2pm, Miriam was found dead at her home in Hermosillo, Mexico.
Mr Cuervo spoke out about why he believes his wife’s death may have been ‘passed off’ as a suicide.
He recalled the moment he asked authorities to fly Miriam’s body to New York, but was told her remains had been cremated, leaving no opportunity to perform an autopsy.
Mr Cuervo also alleged that he received a “threatening” phone call around the time he was trying to arrange Miriam’s funeral.
During the call, he claimed an unknown man threatened: “Don’t come back to Mexico or we’ll kill you too.”
Mr Cuervo believes his wife was killed after she refused to accept work as a prostitute.
[Miriam] told me she wanted to write a book about her life
Jeanett Ørtoft
And he’s not the only person who suspects foul play — Miriam’s close friend said she may have been killed for speaking out against human trafficking.
Jeanett Ørtoft theorised: “Some say she was killed for going against human trafficking, others say that she took her own life.”
She added that the last time she spoke to Miriam, the TV star said she was “looking forward” to the future.
“The last time I was on the phone with her, a few weeks before her death, she told me she was just about to finish a degree and was looking forward to that.
“She told me she wanted to write a book about her life.”
What happened to Miriam Rivera?
Miriam first shot to stardom in 2004 at the age of 21 on the controversial British TV show – There’s Something About Miriam, which was viewed by millions.
The Sky 1 show saw six straight British males battling for the attention of the beautiful glamour model.
But in a dramatic twist in the grand finale, Miriam revealed her identity as a transgender woman.
This came as a surprise to the contestants, who all sued producer Endemol for conspiracy to commit sexual assault, defamation and personal injury, claiming that they had suffered “psychological and emotional damage” — eventually settling for an undisclosed fee.
One report suggested they’d been paid as much as £500,000 each.
The winner, Tom Rooke, received £10,000 in prize money and was supposed to go on a romantic holiday with Miriam.
But he didn’t follow through with the trip.
Due to the reality show being so controversial, and the lawsuits that followed, Sky1 pulled it from their channel and it has never been allowed to be shown again.
After There’s Something About Miriam, the reality star appeared as a guest on Big Brother Australia in 2004.
The TV star was found dead at the age of just 38 at her home in Sonora, Mexico, on February 5, 2019.
Miriam was discovered hanged in her mother’s apartment, with the cause of death ruled as suicide.
In a tragic twist, Miriam was found dead in exactly the same spot where her eldest brother Luis passed away 13 years earlier.
How to watch Miriam: Death of a Reality Star?
Miriam: Death of a Reality Star kicked off at 9pm on Channel 4 on April 29, 2024.
The series runs across three consecutive evenings, concluding on May 1, 2024.
Channel 4 said: “Using Miriam’s own voice and words throughout, the series will restore Miriam as the star of her own story — a trans trailblazer who remains an icon for many in the transgender community.”
Viewers can also catch the series on Channel 4’s streaming service All 4 once it has aired.
You're Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together,www.headstogether.org.uk
- HUMEN www.wearehumen.org
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans,www.samaritans.org, 116 123