More than three decades after Selena Quintanilla’s death, a dispute over the business built around her music and legacy has moved into court. According to court documents obtained by ABC13, Selena’s brother Abraham “A.B.” Quintanilla III has sued his sister, Suzette Quintanilla Arriaga, along with two companies connected to the family’s entertainment business. Filed in Nueces County, Texas, the lawsuit alleges that a family agreement made after Selena’s 1995 death entitled A.B. to 25% of profits from certain entertainment properties. He is seeking more than $1 million, along with an accounting of the estate’s finances.
The agreement dates back to 1995
Selena was killed in March 1995 at the age of 23. In the months following her death, members of her family entered into what the lawsuit describes as the “Estate Properties Agreement”. According to the court documents, the agreement involved A.B., Suzette, their mother Marcella Quintanilla and Selena’s husband, Christopher Pérez. A.B. says the agreement made him a party to the arrangement and an intended beneficiary.The lawsuit states that he was entitled to receive 25% of the net profits generated by certain entertainment properties connected with Selena. Those interests include aspects of her name, image, likeness, voice, commercial ventures and broader intellectual property. Her music, image and name have continued to generate commercial activity decades after her death.
The companies managing Selena’s legacy
A key part of the dispute involves two companies named in the lawsuit: Q Production, Inc. and Q Productions, Inc. The court filing says Q Production, Inc. was established by Selena’s father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., after her death to handle aspects of her entertainment affairs. Suzette later created Q Productions, Inc. in 2025. According to the lawsuit, the newer company became a principal entity through which Selena’s entertainment affairs, intellectual-property rights, commercial ventures and legacy were managed.A.B. alleges that Suzette eventually exercised control over the business activities covered by the family agreement. His lawsuit claims that this resulted in him not receiving the full share of profits to which he believes he was contractually entitled.
When A.B. says he discovered the problem
The lawsuit places particular emphasis on 2025. A.B. says he discovered in spring 2025 that he had not received all of the money he believed he was owed. He then sought financial information that would allow him to determine how much had been generated and how much of that amount should have been paid to him.According to the filing, he requested access to financial records but says the information was not provided. The dispute therefore involves more than the amount A.B. is seeking. His lawsuit also asks for a detailed accounting covering Selena’s estate and related business activity. The filing seeks records dating from 2016 through the present, as well as more than $1 million in unpaid profits and proceeds. A.B. is also seeking attorney fees and court costs.
Suzette and Marcella dispute the allegations
The allegations have been disputed by Suzette and their mother, Marcella Quintanilla. In a joint statement posted on Selena’s official social media account before the lawsuit was formally filed, the two rejected suggestions that Suzette had stolen or improperly taken money or property belonging to A.B., other family members, Selena’s estate or jointly owned family businesses. They also questioned A.B.’s earlier public references to a lawsuit and alleged wrongdoing involving their late father. At the time of that statement, they said they had not found a publicly filed case matching the description A.B. had given.The subsequent court filing in Nueces County has now established that A.B. has filed a civil lawsuit naming Suzette and the two companies. The family’s earlier response nonetheless remains relevant to the dispute because it shows that the allegations were contested before the case became public through the court documents.
Selena’s legacy remains a family business
The dispute comes against the backdrop of a legacy that has grown considerably since Selena’s death. During her lifetime, Selena performed with Selena y Los Dinos, the family band in which both A.B. and Suzette also played. A.B. became an important songwriter and producer for the group, while Suzette played drums before later becoming involved in the business surrounding her sister’s legacy.After Selena’s death, her music and image continued to be used across recordings, merchandise, licensing, entertainment projects and other commercial ventures. Managing her estate and intellectual property has remained central to the family’s business activities. Her father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., who had played a central role in managing Selena’s career, died in December 2025 at age 86. The lawsuit now raises questions about the financial arrangements governing the estate after his death.
What A.B. is asking the court to decide
The lawsuit does not simply seek a payment. A.B. is asking for financial records that would establish how much money was generated from the relevant entertainment properties and determine what portion he believes he is entitled to receive under the 1995 agreement. He is seeking more than $1 million in unpaid profits, an accounting covering the relevant period, and reimbursement for legal expenses and court costs.The case now puts a decades-old family agreement under scrutiny while the business surrounding Selena’s name and legacy continues. For A.B., the central issue is whether the terms agreed upon after Selena’s death were followed and whether he received the share of profits and financial information he says the agreement provides.
