Who Are Michelle Salas Great-grandparents?

Michelle Salas’ great-grandparents are Silvia Pinal and Rafael Banquells from her mother’s side, and Matilde Sanchez Repiso and Rafael Gallego Rey from her father’s lineage. They are well-known figures in the Latina entertainment scene.

In the past, Michelle Salas called out her father, Luis Miguel, for abandoning her when she was still a child while paying tribute to her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother for giving her the best upbringing. That interview inevitably led to an almost insatiable desire for fans to know more about the Mexican model’s great-grandparents. Let’s meet them.

Silvia Pinal, Michelle Salas’ Maternal Great-grandmother, Was A Pioneer

The most prominent name amongst Michelle Salas’s great-grandparents is her maternal great-grandmother, the iconic and legendary Silvia Pinal, who is a well-respected Mexican actress, businesswoman, television, theatre, and film producer.

Born Silvia Veronica Pinal Hidalgo, on September 12, 1930, in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico, Silvia Pinal pioneered musical theater in Mexico and was also very active in government administration while holding down some political appointments.

Summary of Silvia Pinal’s Bio

  • Full Name: Silvia Veronica Pinal Hidalgo
  • Nickname: Silvia Pinal
  • Gender: Female
  • Date of Birth: September 12, 1930
  • Silvia Pinal’s Age: 93 years old
  • Ethnicity: Latina
  • Nationality: Mexican
  • Place of Birth: Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico
  • Sexual Orientation: Straight
  • Religion: Christianity
  • Marital Status: Divorced
  • Silvia Pinal’s Exes: Rafael Banquells ​(m. 1947; div. 1952)​, Gustavo Alatriste​ ​(m. 1961; div. 1967)​, Enrique Guzmán​ ​(m. 1967; div. 1976)​, Tulio Hernández​, ​(m. 1982; div. 1995)​
  • Silvia Pinal’s Children: Silvia Pasquale (daughter), Viridinia Alatriste (daughter), Alejandra Guzman (daughter), Luis Enrique Guzman (son)
  • Famous For: Being a former Mexican actress, producer, and politician

Rafael Banquells, Michelle Salas’ Maternal Great-grandfather, Was Also An Actor

Still, on her mother’s side of the family, Michelle Salas’ great-grandfather was also in the entertainment business. He was an actor of Mexican origin named Rafael Banquells. Born Rafael Banquells Garafulla on June 25, 1917, in La Habana, Cuba, Rafael’s parents were actors based in Spain, and when he was old enough, he slotted seamlessly into what was a family tradition and went on to succeed as an actor, producer, and director.

Silvia Pinal, Michelle Salas’ great-grandmother, was one of three women he was married to while on earth. She was his second wife, and they had a daughter who became known as Sylvia Pasqualle. Michelle Salas’ great-grandfather died on October 27, 1990, at the age of 73, in Mexico City.

Summary of Rafael Banquells Bio

  • Full Name: Rafael Banquells Garafulla
  • Nickname: Rafael Banquells
  • Gender: Male
  • Date of Birth: June 25, 1917
  • Date of Death: October 27, 1990
  • Rafael Banquells’ Age at Death: 73 years old
  • Ethnicity: Latina
  • Nationality: Mexican/Cuban
  • Place of Birth: La Habana, Cuba
  • Sexual Orientation: Straight
  • Religion: Christianity
  • Marital Status: Married
  • Rafael Banquells’ Wife and Exes: Blanca de Castejon (m. 1934​ – 1942), Silvia Pinal (m. 1947 – 1952) Dina de Marco (m. 1955)
  • Rafael Banquells’ Children: Silvia Pasquale (daughter), Jose Manuel Banquells (son), Rocio Banquells (son), Jeanette Banquells (daughter), Mary Paz Banquells (daughter), Ariadne Banquells (daughter), Rafael Banquells Jr. (son)
  • Famous For: Being an actor, director, and film producer

Matilde Sanchez Repiso, Michelle Salas’ Paternal Great-grandmother, Was Also A Singer

It has become clear that Michelle Salas comes from a long line of entertainers. Her paternal great-grandmother, Matilde Sanchez Repiso, was also a Mexican singer and dancer. She was married to Rafael Gallego Rey, and they had a son named Luisito Rey. She was reportedly born on June 8, 1916, in Cadiz, Andalusia, Spain, and died in 1994 in the same location as her birth.

Summary of Matilde Sanchez Repiso’s Bio

  • Full Name: Matilde Gallego Rey (nee Repiso)
  • Nickname: Matilde Sanchez
  • Gender: Female
  • Date of Birth: June 8, 1916
  • Date of Death: 1994
  • Matilde Sanchez Repiso’s Age at Death: 78 years old
  • Ethnicity: Latina
  • Nationality: Mexican/Spanish
  • Place of Birth: Cadiz, Andalusia, Spain
  • Sexual Orientation: Straight
  • Religion: Christianity
  • Marital Status: Married
  • Matilde Sanchez Repiso’s Husband: Rafael Gallego Rey
  • Matilde Sanchez Repiso’s Children: Luisito Rey (son)
  • Famous For: Being a former Mexican singer and dancer

Rafael Gallego Rey, Michelle Salas’ Paternal Great-grandfather, Was A Flamenco Singer

Rafael Gallego Rey, Michelle Salas’ great-grandfather, was a popular Flamenco singer of Spanish origins. He was married to Matilde Sanchez Repiso until his death. The dates of his birth and death are currently unknown.

Summary of Rafael Gallego Rey Bio

  • Full Name: Rafael Gallego Rey
  • Gender: Male
  • Ethnicity: Latina
  • Nationality: Spanish
  • Sexual Orientation: Straight
  • Religion: Christianity
  • Marital Status: Married
  • Rafael Gallego Rey’s Wife: Matilde Sanchez Repiso
  • Rafael Gallego Rey’s Children: Luis Gallego Rey
  • Famous For: Being a Spanish flamenco singer

Michelle Salas’ Parents Were Both Born In The Same Year

Michelle Salas’ parents are practically Mexican music royalty as they were both born in 1970 and share the same birth year. That’s not all they share. Despite never being married to each other, they share the responsibility of being parents to Michelle Salas.

Michelle’s father is a popular Mexico-based singer known as Luis Miguel. His popularity in Mexico reached such heights that he was primarily known as El Sol de México (The Sun of Mexico). Records show that he was actually born on April 18, 1970, but celebrates his birthday on the 19th because that was when his father filed the papers.

Luis Miguel made his name in Mexico but was actually born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His father, Luis Gallegos Sanchez or simply Luisito Rey, was a Spanish singer, while his mother, Marcela Basteri, was an Italian actress. Luis Miguel is the grandson of Matilde Sanchez Repiso and Rafael Gallegos Rey, and he has two younger brothers named Alejandro and Sergio.

On the other hand, Michelle Salas’ mother, Stephanie Salas, was born Stephanie Salas Banquells on February 5, 1970, in Mexico City, Mexico. Stephanie Salas is the offspring of well-known Mexican actress Silvia Banquells Pinal, AKA Sylvia Pasqualle, and Mexican singer Micky Salas. Her grandparents are the famous Mexican actress, politician, and businesswoman Silvia Pinal and former Mexican singer and dancer Rafael Banquells.

Michelle Salas Has Had A Rocky Relationship With Her Father

Michelle Salas’ parents were both just 19 years old when they had her. Her mother claims that her father, Luis Miguel, was quite mature about the news of the pregnancy and reassured her of his continued presence and involvement in the life of her and Michelle. That promise lasted until Michelle was 6 years old as the Mexican singer chose his quite booming career at the time over Michelle.

Ten years after he severed communication with his young daughter, Michelle, who had grown up around her mother’s family and had achieved some measure of success, as a model called out her father in an interview, stating that she just wanted a few minutes to get an explanation of why he abandoned her at such a young age.

In 2007, two years after Michelle’s interview, her father recognized her as his daughter after a well-ascertained paternity test proved that she was in fact his daughter. Michelle officially became known as Michelle Gallegos Salas even though she remains publicly known as Michelle Salas. From then on, father and daughter tried to make up for the lost time.

It’s been revealed that Luis gave her not only his last name but also one of his numerous properties. The said property, which is located at Quartz Hill, Los Angeles, California, was worth a whopping $108 million at the time. However, despite the truce between Michelle Salas and her father, their relationship hasn’t been tension-free.

One of such causes of friction was a rumored romantic relationship between Michelle Salas and her father’s then-manager and good friend, Alejandro Asensi, a man 20 years her senior. There were unverified reports that Michelle even became pregnant as a result.

Not long after these rumors began, Alejandro stopped being Luis Miguel’s manager and friend, leaving many to assume that there might be some truth to the rumors after all. That being said, we cannot tell what sort of relationship Michelle has with her father these days, and this lends credence to the rocky nature of their relationship.

Both Of Michelle’s Parents Are Still Alive

Michelle Salas’ parents are still alive and well into their 50s age-wise. Her mother, Stephanie Salas, still resides in Mexico with her family and, as of March 2022, was reported to be working on a Bio-series that, if aired, will focus on her life as a single mother in the 1990s.

Similarly, Michelle’s larger-than-life father, Luis Miguel, has had a lot of adventures over the past decade, including signing a promissory note to pay one of his former managers over $1 million. As of 2021, he lives in one of the most exclusive skyscrapers in Miami.

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Romeo Ndlovu
Romeo Ndlovu
Romeo's secret talent is taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary content. At work, he is thinking about how best to provide the most unique, original content that provides utmost satisfaction to the user. Away from work, he is a football addict who loves to catch up on his favorite pastimes

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