The documentary series ‘Forever Queens,’ also known as ‘Siempre Reinas,’ is available on Netflix and chronicles the day-to-day lives of legendary Mexican personalities Luca Méndez, Sylvia Pasquel, Laura Zapata, and Lorena Herrera. The reality show focuses on the friendships shared by the four ladies as well as the challenges they face in their personal and professional lives. The series also provides the celebrities with a forum in which they may speak candidly about their histories and how those histories have influenced who they are today.
The audience’s attention has definitely been drawn to Laura Zapata’s constant references to the time she was kidnapped while the other stars on the show are discussing events from their own life. The well-known actress frequently discusses the way in which the incident impacted both her and her sister, Ernestina Sodi. Naturally, viewers are interested in learning more about the incident that is being discussed. If you are in the same position as me and are wondering how the sisters were kidnapped, the information that follows should answer all of your questions.
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When and why were Ernestina Sodi and Laura Zapata taken from their homes?
Laura Guadalupe Zapata Ernestina Sodi, a well-known Mexican author, has a half-sister by the name of Miranda, who is more known by her stage name, Laura Zapata. Yolanda Miranda Mange has two daughters from two different marriages, and both of her daughters are identical twins. The two have three additional sisters, one of them is Ariadna Thala Sodi Miranda, better known by her stage as Thala, who is famous all over the world for her acting and singing abilities.
On September 22, 2002, Laura gave a performance as the beloved character Martio “The Humpback” in the drama “La house de Bernarda Alba.” Following the conclusion of the performance, Laura and Ernestina drove away from the San Rafael Theater in a red Volkswagen Jetta. Only five blocks away from the theater, the Volkswagen of the sisters was halted by another vehicle, and then men wearing black hoodies and gloves stepped out and shattered the windows of the Volkswagen. People who were there during the unfolding of the events said that the men then coerced the sisters into getting into one of the vehicles that was following them.
Even though many people were horrified by the episode, it was not something unusual at the time, as kidnappings had supposedly grown rather regular in Mexico at that point. When the relatives of the girls were asked about the matter, they refused to comment on their plans surrounding the whole occurrence and stated that they did not want law enforcement to be involved. They said that they did not want law enforcement to be engaged in the case. Many people, as a result of this, came to the conclusion that the relatives had chosen to pay the ransom. Since then, Laura has revealed that the sisters were kidnapped with the intention of extorting money from Tommy Mottola, Thala’s husband, who is a very successful music producer. Laura says that the kidnappers hoped to get the money from Thala’s husband.
The two sisters were told by their captors that the whole ordeal had nothing to do with them personally, and that the kidnappers demanded that Tommy Mottola pay a ransom of one million dollars. In spite of the fact that Laura spoke very little English, she is said to have told her kidnappers that she was uncertain as to whether or not her sister’s family had that amount of money and whether or not they would spend it on her. The kidnappers set Laura free on October 10, 2002, after she had been held captive for a total of 18 days. However, Laura’s sister was held for an additional 16 days until being set free on October 34, 2002, which was 34 days after the sisters had been abducted.
Laura has never disclosed the precise ransom that she and her family paid in order to secure their release from their captors; however, she did indicate that Thalia and her husband did not provide the amount of ransom money that was requested of them. Since being set free, Laura has asserted on many occasions that the event caused a profound shift in her, and that it took her around six years to get past the traumatic experience. Following her time spent in captivity, Laura went on to act in the autobiographical play “Captives,” in which she presented her account of the events that took place during that period.
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The play presents the kidnappers as hardened criminals, but it also sheds light on their seeming human side through the events that are recounted in the play. The actress revealed that one of the individuals who kidnapped her claimed to be in love with her and promised that he would not allow any harm to happen to her despite the fact that the kidnapping was ostensibly for commercial purposes. It is important to note that Laura’s sisters, Ernestina and Thala, did not enjoy the performance, which presumably contributed to a further deterioration of their relationship. This fact should be taken into consideration.
What Became of the People Who Stole the Children?
In April of 2003, three men were detained on suspicion of being responsible for the kidnapping of Ernestina Sodi and Laura Zapata. The accused are accused of kidnapping a textile businessman and holding him captive in a house in Mexico City, Mexico. This led to the arrest of the accused. The identify of the victim was kept under wraps by the officials, but they did indicate that the kidnappers planned to acquire a sum of money equal to five million dollars. In January of the same year, according to the law enforcement, they had already detained two further members of the gang that the trio belonged to. In spite of the fact that 5 members of the aforementioned abduction gang were taken into custody, Mario Alberto Bayardo, the leader of the gang, along with two other members of the group, were nevertheless apprehended by law enforcement.
Although it should be mentioned that their family had not filed any charges regarding the occurrence with the police, it was suspected that the gang was responsible for the kidnapping of Laura and Ernestina. According to the claims officials involved, the gang was considered to be behind the kidnapping. It has been stated that the family entrusted a private team to handle the discussions with the individuals responsible for the kidnapping of the two sisters. Because of this, it is quite doubtful that any kind of official identification took place in reference to the same.
Family
Zapata was born in Mexico City, and her father, Guillermo Zapata Pérez de Utrera, was a Mexican boxer, model, and businessman. Her mother, Yolanda Miranda Mange, was a model. Zapata is their daughter (from her first marriage). She married Juan Eduardo Sodi de la Tijera. Zapata is the half-sister of famous musicians Thala, Federica, and Gabriela, in addition to the author and biographer Ernestina Sodi. Zapata is also a famous writer. She is the mother of two boys named Claudio and Patricio Sodi. In addition to that, Zapata is a singer and a dancer. The first members of the family to achieve popularity on a global scale thanks to their acting and singing careers are Laura and Thala. One of Thala’s earliest soap operas was called Maria Mercedes, and Laura played an antagonist opposite of her sister in that show. She is just as well-known for her roles as villains in telenovelas as she is for her other roles.
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Kidnapping
Laura and her sister Ernestina were abducted in September of 2002 and taken to a location that was not identified. The announcement of their kidnapping was front page news all around Latin America, as well as among the Spanish-speaking television channels in the United States.
As Thala, her half-sister, is married to the multi-millionaire Tommy Mottola, it was hypothesized that their kidnappers would demand a significant ransom in exchange for their release. In contrast, Laura was freed 18 days after her captivity, and her sister Ernestina was freed 34 days after their abduction.
Filmography
Films
| Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Alas doradas | Unknown role | Debut film |
| 1978 | El patrullero 777 | Señorita en delegación | |
| 1979 | La guerra de los pasteles | Azucena | |
| 1980 | Nuestro juramento | Nancy | |
| 1981 | La cosecha de mujeres | Unknown role | |
| 2002 | Cuatro piernas | Sole | |
| 2012 | Marcelo | Señora Martha | |
| 2019 | La peor de mis bodas 2 | Señora suegra |
Television
| Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Mundo de juguete | Unknown role | |
| 1977 | La venganza | Violeta | |
| 1977 | Acompáñame | Karla | |
| 1978 | Mamá campanita | Irene | |
| 1980 | Juventud | Modesta | |
| 1984 | Los años felices | Flora | |
| 1987–88 | Rosa salvaje | Dulcina Linares | Main Antagonist |
| 1992 | María Mercedes | Malvina del Olmo | Main Antagonist |
| 1995 | Pobre niña rica | Teresa | Main Antagonist |
| 1997 | Esmeralda | Fátima Linares de Peñarreal | Antagonist |
| 1998 | La usurpadora | Zoraida Zapata | Special appearance |
| 1999 | Rosalinda | Verónica del Castillo | Recurring role |
| 2001 | Mujer bonita | Celia | 10 episodes |
| 2001 | La intrusa | Maximiliana Limantur de Roldán | Antagonist |
| 2005 | Soñar no Cuesta Nada | Roberta Pérez de Lizalde | Antagonist |
| 2008–09 | Cuidado con el ángel | Onelia Montenegro Vda. de Mayer | Antagonist |
| 2010 | Zacatillo, un lugar en tu corazón | Doña Miriam Solórzano de Gálvez | Main Antagonist |
| 2013 | Todo incluido | Luz María González | |
| 2014 | The Stray Cat | Lorenza Negrete de Martínez | Main Antagonist |
| 2017 | El Bienamado | Bruna Mendoza |
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