Did Beyoncé meet Selena Quintanilla? Story behind Selena: The Series explored

The second season of the Netflix biography, Selena: The Series, shows a young Beyoncé getting lucky when she bumps into the legendary Selena Quintanilla in a chance encounter at The Galleria Mall in Houston, Texas. The biographical drama shows the Grammy winner starstruck by Selena Quintanilla's presence and she could only squeak out a 'hello' as the Tejano queen smiled at her.

Season 2 episode 6 of Selena: The Series is titled Lo mas bello and it shows a young Beyoncé strutting about the Galleria Mall with her mother Tina Knowles and sister Solange. Out of nowhere, she spots Selena Quintanilla in the same mall with her mother Marcella, and sister Suzette.

After the meeting, Tina Knowles advises Beyoncé to not be affected by the perceived celebrity aura if she wanted to be famous in the future.

"Beyoncé Knowles, you better learn not to be afraid of people if you ever wanna be famous, too," opined Tina in the series.

This encounter has gotten a lot of attention from fans of both icons, most of whom have wondered whether it actually happened in real life or is just a piece of fiction included to add a little spice to the biography of the Mexican-American singer.

Beyoncé did actually meet Selena Quintanilla in the 1990s. The Cowboy Carter singer opened up about her encounter with the Queen of Tejano Music in a vintage interview with MTV Tr3s.

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What did Beyoncé say about Selena Quintanilla in her interview with MTV Tr3s?

63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards – Telecast (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

In an old interview with MTV Tr3s, Beyoncé described the chance encounter with Selena at The Galleria. According to her, she wasn't a 'celebrity' back then and hesitated to say anything to her.

“I did actually meet Selena in The Galleria mall in Houston, but 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,” said Queen Bey.

She also explained Selena influenced her as a musician and how she would listen to her despite not fully comprehending what she was saying. The Coachella 2018 headliner also revealed that Selena Quintanilla helped her improve her pronunciation.

"Definitely 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," elaborated Beyoncé.

She highlighted the legacy of the Mexican-American singer and raved about the opportunity she got of meeting the singing icon in her formative years.

"I think she is a legend and I admire her. And she was so talented, so I'm very happy that even though she didn't know who I was, I'm still so excited that I got that opportunity," concluded Beyoncé.

The Cowboy Carter singer also lauded Selena Quintanilla in her 2007 interview with People en Espanyol after the release of her second studio album B'Day. The album featured six Spanish musical numbers and Beyoncé raved about the influence of Selena in her works.

""I listened to Selena all the time," she said. "She's close to me because of where I'm from," commented the Grammy winner.

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Christian Serratos gave her thoughts on the Selena-Beyoncé meeting scene

Madame Tussauds New York Hosts Selena Quintanilla's Sister for Unveiling of Late Singer's Figure in Times Square (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Madame Tussauds New York)

Christian Serratos plays Selena Quintanilla in the Netflix biography and, in an Entertainment Tonight interview published on May 5, 2021, she talked about the iconic sequence in which Bey meets Selena.

The actress pressed on the inspiration factor that Selena Quintanilla brought to the table for the younger generation and urged them to follow their dreams through her life story.

"And I thought, 'You know, that's what this story is about, is inspiration, and inspiring young people to follow their dreams, whatever those dreams are," commented Serratos.

Finally, the 33-year-old actress quipped by asking whether that scene would be her cue to finally get to meet Queen Bey!

Christian Dior : Photocall - Paris Fashion Week - Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Christian Dior)

Although the show is a cult classic, it received average ratings from audiences and critics alike upon release. Part 1 of Selena: The Series amassed an approval rating of 32% and an average rating of 5.35/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. The 'Critics Consensus' from the platform read:

"Selena: The Series's affections are obvious, but by not probing deeper into Selena herself it fails to capture the woman behind the legacy, settling for just-another-retelling of the charismatic star's life instead of something more."

Part 2 received an approval rating of just 14% with an aggregate rating of 4.42 from Rotten Tomatoes.