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Mun2 TV reality superstar Jenni Rivera, dead at 43, UPDATE

By April MacIntyre Dec 10, 2012, 2:11 GMT

Jenni Rivera - Mun2 reality star Jenni Rivera died early Sunday after her private chartered plane crashed following takeoff in Monterrey, Mexico. She was 43. © Andrew Evans / PR Photos

Mun2 reality star Jenni Rivera died early Sunday after her private chartered plane crashed following takeoff in Monterrey, Mexico. She was 43.

The Associated Press reported that there were no survivors among the seven people believed to be on board.

The wreckage was found in the Ejido La Colorada, Municipality of Nuevo Leon. Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, secretary of communications and transport, said that the plane is not recognizable, but the evidence suggests it was the aircraft carrying the singer, according to Telemundo.

Back at the winter Television Critics' Association press junket in 2011, Jenni Rivera was interviewed on stage by TV host Shaun Robinson, and she described herself to mostly unaware American and Canadian TV critics.

Jenni said, "I speak Spanish fluently, and obviously, I speak English fluently. I was born in L.A., raised in Long Beach. This is my life. This is who I am. It just happens to be that I have five children. I have a granddaughter. I’m newly married, and I have a lot of fans. So the reason we went with mun2 is because a lot of my fans, although I am a Spanish recording artist, a lot of them speak just like I do. A lot of them were born and raised in the ‘hood. A lot of them are Americanized completely. So that’s why although many other networks were interested in it, to me it was very important for my family, who’s very bilingual, to be united with the family like mun2 who totally understands us."

Rivera was known as the Diva of Banda, but her Mun2 reality series "I Love Jenni," was her entree to mainstream fame.

Variety previously reported that Rivera had a deal with ABC to develop her own sitcom.

Six other people were reported to be on the plane, including her publicist, lawyer and makeup artist, all of whom were known to viewers of "I Love Jenni."

Her makeup artist was Jacob Yebale, who used his Twitter account to tweet last photos of her before they left Mexico:

Acustico @jennirivera en la a #Arena #Monterrey..... http://lockerz.com/s/267534715

@jennirivera Resiviendo #DobleDisco #DeOro Y #Platino D #JoyasPrestadas y Disco D #Oro En Tan Solo Dos Semanas De Salir Ala Venta el disco La Misma Gran Señora http://lockerz.com/s/267538938

In 2010, Mun2 gave Rivera and her daughter Chiquis a reality TV series,  "Jenni Rivera Presents: Chiquis & Raq-C." That show spun off the popular "I Love Jenni" in 2011.

Rivera was slated to play a middle-class single mother in the ABC comedy.

At the TCAs in 2011, Rivera replied to a question from a critic who asked about her cross-over appeal and career.

Rivera said, "I was born in America, in the United States. I’m proudly of Mexican descent. I went to school here. I went to Long Beach City College. I went to Cal State Long Beach.  I have an education. I have a career. I’m a real estate agent. So I’ve been crossed over since I was born. It just happens to be that I decided to sing Spanish music, to perform it because that’s what’s in my blood. The way that other people that might — as someone like you who doesn’t obviously know of my music, that’s totally OK, but when you see a family as mine, who is bilingual, yet is so Americanized — we are proudly Mexican, but we are so Americanized — it’s just normal. It’s like everybody else, basically. It just happens to be that I have a career behind me. Maybe you can call it in another culture."

Ms. Rivera recently announced her divorce from her third husband, Major League Baseball pitcher Esteban Loaiza.