Who is Chiquis Rivera?

American singer and TV personality Janney Marin ‘Chiquis’ Rivera was born in Los Angeles, California USA, on 26 June 1985, making Cancer her zodiac sign. Chiquis is perhaps known best for being the older daughter of the late American singer Dolores Janney ‘Jenni’ Rivera Saavedra, while she’s also known for her own music career, which she launched with her 2014 debut single “Paloma Blanca”, was written by her and dedicated to her mother.

Education and early life

Chiquis was raised in Los Angeles alongside her younger sister Jacquelin ‘Jacqie’ and younger brother Mikey, by their mother and her first husband Jose Trinidad Marin; Jenni and Jose divorced in 1992, and she married her second husband Juan Lopez in 1997, giving birth to Chiquis’ two half-siblings. Jenni died when her and six other passengers’ in a Learjet 25 crashed on 9 December 2012.

Chiquis was 12 years old when her aunt Rosie Rivera told Jenni that her then-husband Jose Trinidad Marin was sexually molesting her, as well as her daughters Chiquis and Jacqie; physical examination confirmed this, and the case was opened in the same year (1997). Jose spent nine years hiding from the authorities before he was caught in April 2006 and sentenced to 30 years behind bars without the possibility of parole.

Chiquis went on to study at a local high school in Los Angeles, at which she was mostly into singing and acting in school plays; she matriculated in 2003 and worked various jobs for the following seven years, prior to launching her career as a TV personality, and later as a singer.

TV appearances

Chiquis made her TV debut in 2010, when she starred in all the 13 episodes of the reality show “Chiquis & Raq-C”, which also starred her mother Jenni and Raquel Cordova; the show follows the lives of Chiquis, her mother and radio personality Raq-C.

In 2012, she appeared in six episodes of the reality show “Chiquis ‘n Control”, which follows her travelling to New York City to try and fight her shopping addiction. From 2011 through 2013, Chiquis starred in the biographical comedy show “I Love Jenni”, which follows the lives of Jenni and her children, and which won one of its two award nominations.

The year 2015 saw Chiquis appear in an episode of three talk-shows: “Rica Famosa Latina”, “Today” and “Noches con Platanito”.

From 2016 through 2018, she starred in the reality show “The Riveras”, which follows the lives of Chiquis and her sister Jacqie.

Most recently, Chiquis appeared in an episode of the talk-show “Tamron Hall”.

Other credits

Chiquis is also an actress, making her debut film appearance in the 2015 action drama “Tattooed Love”, written and directed by Alejandro Antonio and Alberto Portillo, and which starred Emeraude Toubia, Edy Ganem and Laura Flannery. It follows the life of leader of a secret VIP party service Yesenia.

Chiquis produced the 2017 music videos “Chiquis Rivera: Horas Extras” and “Chiquis Rivera: Vas a Volver”, as well as 14 episodes of the 2016 reality show “The Riveras”.

Career as a singer

Chiquis made her debut on international television by singing “Esa No Soy Yo” at the awards show Premios Juventud, and released her debut album “Ahora” on 2 June 2015, having it previously announced in the newspaper “Miami Herald”.

The album received mixed reviews, and many people believed that it was only being Jenni’s daughter that attracted people to listen to it. Chiquis’ second album “Entre Botellas” was released in the first half of 2018, while some of the album’s most popular songs were “Horas Extras”, “Vas a Volver” and “Quisieran Tener Mi Lugar”.

She released her third album “Playlist” in 2020, and her next album “Abeja Reina” followed in 2022.

Chiquis uploads all of her music onto her YouTube channel ‘Chiquis Online’, which she launched on 18 November 2013, and which today numbers close to a million subscribers; all of Chiquis’ 165 videos together have been watched more than 250 million times, and are mostly her original songs, while others show her performing covers.

Love life and marriage

Chiquis avoids speaking about her love life in public, but it’s known that she was married. She and American singer Lorenzo E. Mendez Ronquillo exchanged vows in a small ceremony in June 2019; he was the vocalist of the band La Original Banda El Limon, and had a daughter from a previous marriage. Chiquis announced on 17 September 2020 that she had filed for divorce, and that it was her and Lorenzo’s mutual decision; in her 2022 book “Autobiography Unbreakable”, she revealed that Lorenzo was a drug addict and was aggressive towards her, and that he once spat in her face and grabbed her by the neck, and that he only stopped after Chiquis’ brother took a dumbbell and charged at him.

Chiquis seems to be unattached as of April 2023, was married to Lorenzo E. Mendez Ronquillo; she doesn’t have children.

Interesting facts and hobbies

In her memoir “Forgiveness”, published on 7 April 2015, Chiquis revealed that she and her mother stopped talking to each other in October 2012, two months before she died, because Jenni became obsessed with the thought that her third husband, Mexican retired professional baseball player Esteban Loaiza was cheating on her with Chiquis.

Chiquis has been nominated for many awards for her music, winning five: a Premios De La Radio Award for Female Artist of the Year in 2015, two Lo Nuestro Awards for Regional Mexican: Female Artist of the Year in 2015 and 2017, and two Latin Grammy Awards for Best Banda Album in 2020 and 2022.

Close to 120,000 people are following Chiquis on Instagram today, and she’s posted more than 800 pictures and videos, with most of these showing her during her everyday life.

Chiquis is a fan of Hollywood actresses Julia Roberts and Angelina Jolie, and some of her favorite movies include “Pretty Woman”, “Erin Brokovich” and “Eat, Pray, Love”.

Height, eyes and wealth

Chiquis’ age is 37. Her hair and eyes are brown, she’s 5ft 4ins (1.62m) tall and weighs around 140lbs (65kgs).

Chiquis’ net worth’s been estimated at over $3 million, as of April 2023, while her mother’s net worth at the time of her death was estimated at over $25 million.

Troy Landry is an American hunter, fisherman and TV personality, born on 9 June 1961, in Pierre Part, Louisiana USA. He’s known for being the star of the reality TV series “Swamp People”.

Early Life

Troy was born Duffy and Mrytle Landry’s first of four sons. Although there’s no information about Troy’s childhood, it’s known he studied in Pierre Part Primary School and Middle School.Along his brothers Guy and Bubba, he started fishing and hunting at an early age following their family’s tradition.

Of French descent, his parents faced many problems growing up as they didn’t speak English well, and were economically underprivileged, Troy declared: ‘My parents didn’t have electricity or power. They grew up with nothing’.

Career

Fishing Business

Troy Landry is a skilled fisherman, dedicating from eight to nine months a year in harvesting and marketing crawfish. Earnings from commercial fishing allowed Landry to establish his own seafood restaurant in 1992.

In addition, Troy has helped his father to set-up his own bait shop named Duffy’s Shell, which also serves as one of their hometown’s few gas stations. Baits sold at the store are caught by Troy himself, as buying it is more expensive: ‘It comes from the East Coast. We used to get bait from Florida to Maine for crawfishing, but now we compete with everybody for bait. We even compete with people at Sea World for bait. We used to pay 10-12 cents per pound.

Now, because they eliminated commercial fishing in a lot of states, we have to pay up to 40 cents per pound.’

Not only is fishing Landry’s main occupation and principal source of income, he considers it a hobby as well, catching turtles, frogs and catfishes in his spare time.

Gator Hunting

Troy Landry has been skillfully hunting gators for decades, job for which he’s known as “King of the Swamp” in his natal Louisiana.

American gators are legally hunted in various south-eastern states of US in a tradition dating back to 1700’s, seasons usually lasting four weeks in each designated zone. Troy regularly takes part in this dangerous practice two times a year, starting 25 August in East Zone, its end giving him a free week until the start of September, when another season starts in West Zone.

Alligator skin is well sold as a luxury item internationally, though in recent years its price has lowered from $40 to $12 for 1ft (0.3m) for hide, which has almost made Landry stop this hunting: ‘It’s almost not worth killing a big gator. It’s almost not worth it. You have to wait so long for them to get that big.’

Despite this, demand for gator meat has been increasing steadily, which has helped to sustain Troy’s business. Moreover, gator trapping is a profession Troy has dedicated many years of his life to, therefore finding success at it: ‘We usually catch alligators when nobody else is catching any. I don’t think it’s because we are better hunters, I think it’s just because we have a little more experience and a few little tricks up our sleeves, that others may not always think of.

We manage to catch five or six really big ones every year. Most hunters only catch one every 10 years. Paying attention to the little things makes a difference’.

Swamp People – TV Debut

Troy was cast to appear in the reality TV series “Swamp People”, which premiered on 22 August 2010 on History Channel. The show focuses not only on Landry, but also on other Louisiana-based hunters, who risk their lives catching gators in Atchafalaya River Basin’s swamps.

Landry usually appears in the show alongside his son Jacob Landry, and others hunters such as his friend Clint Landry and his own brothers Guy and Bubba.

His popularity in the show resulted in him starring in its 2018 spin-off “Swamp Mysteries with Troy Landry”, which has been significant to Landry’s life, unexpectedly changing it: ‘They’re pulling me in all directions. I’m enjoying it though. I like to make other people happy. I put other people before me. I never expected this to happen. I figured fishermen would enjoy the show, but not so many people from so many different walks of life.’

Despite the good reception the show has gathered, Troy was initially worried about show’s representation of gator hunting and what it entails: ‘It’s real nasty in the boat; at the end of the day, it gets ugly. I was really worried they were going to make it a blood battle on TV. I find History Channel did an awesome job. They show us harvesting the gator but didn’t focus a whole lot on the killing part.’

He’s also content about producers including his family and other’s hunters in the show, positively portraying their simple lifestyle.

“Swamp People” has changed other aspects of people’s lives as well, as not only tourism during gator hunting season has increased in Pierre Part thanks to the show, but also demand and consumption of alligator meat.

Personal Life

Troy married Bernita on 26 September 1981. Although there’s no information about the couple’s history and first meeting, it is known Bernita was previously married to Randy Hotard, with whom she had a son named Brandon in 1976.

Troy developed a strong relationship with his stepson, who has appeared in “Swamp People” accompanying his step-dad in his gator hunting journeys.

To show his gratitude, Brandon posted a photo on his official Facebook page commemorating 2013’s father’s day: ‘Some may consider it unfortunate that I’ve had to endure divorced parents. But I consider myself blessed to have two great dads who have raised me and guided me through my life.’

Bernita welcomed two sons with Landry, named Jacob and Chase; both are recurrent stars in “Swamp People” and hunt full time with their father.

Net Worth

Reportedly, Landry’s family earned an estimated of $25,000 per “Swamp People” episode. Beside this, Troy’s commercial fishing and hunting activities has been providing for his family for decades, so his estimated net worth is over $2 million, as of mid-2020.

Physical Appearance

Troy Landry is a man of white ethnicity, who is 5ft 8ins (1.77m) tall and weighs around 195lbs (88kgs). Despite his TV star status, Troy remains humble, and usually wears simple clothes and caps.

Interesting Facts

Troy Landry’s appearances on TV have affected his family in a positive way, he told Louisiana Travel: ‘My momma went to the doctor last week in Baton Rouge, and when she told somebody she was from Pierre Part, they asked, ‘Do you know the Swamp People?’ She said, ‘Yeah, one of them is my son.’ My momma told me she had to take pictures with these people and sign autographs for them. It’s unbelievable, yeah, it’s unbelievable.’

Troy has a signature Ralph Lauren shirt, which he wears for good luck.

Besides turtles, Troy’s favorite food is grilled alligator, he told Louisiana Travel: ‘We pan fry it, and we make a sauce piquante, a stew, that’s very good. The white meat, we like to grill it or fry it up or put it on the fire pit.’

Although Troy has managed to live off the land (or water) his entire life, there have been hunting and fishing seasons in which he has hit a bad luck streak. Seeing himself in need of money during those times, Troy worked as helper in a friend’s construction company.

Off-gator season, Troy still goes deer hunting.

Early life, family, educational background

American military expert and historian, Dr. Lynette Nusbacher, was born as Aryeh Judah Schoen Nusbacher into a Jewish family on 17 December 1966 in New York City USA, with male physical features. According to sources, Lynette has a brother, but not much is publicly known about him. Some online sources say that Jonas Maines is Lynette’s twin brother, but this isn’t true. Jonas is the sibling of Nicole Maines, a transgender activist.

Lynette is trilingual, speaking Hebrew, German and French. She attended the University of Toronto in Canada, and graduated with a BA (Honors) in History and Economics in 1988.

In 1994, she graduated with a Master of Arts degree in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada, and then attended the University of Oxford to study for a PhD (Doctorate of Philosophy) in Modern British history, and graduated in 2001. In 2010, she attended short programs in Organizational Leadership at the Cranfield University – Cranfield School of Management and the National School of Government.

Career

According to Lynette’s Linkedin, she has high qualifications in strategy research and war studies.

From 1988 to 1994, she was an administrator at the University of Toronto. She worked in the Canadian Armed Forces as a Logistics Officer from 1992 to 2000. While there, she controlled audit and financial planning for an infantry battalion. She was a division staff officer in 2000.

From 1999 to 2013 at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, UK, she was the military expert and senior lecturer on war strategies. She joined the LMC consultant in 2006 as a senior consultant and principal, and through 2012 she was a guest lecturer at the University of Reading in Berkshire, UK.

She was appointed to the position of Senior Intelligence Advisor in the UK’s cabinet office in London in 2007, and was promoted to the Head of Strategic Horizons in 2008. She fought for a clean system for national-level security assessment.

Lynette began being recognized as a ‘popular’ historian in 2011, so she started a blog, “Nusbacher Associates,” on which she encourages people to explore new opportunities in cyber tech and technology.

She leads the “Devil’s Advocacy,” which is a group focused on exploring the sceptical views and sound advice on historical facts and theories. Their main goal is to gain access to cognitive bias and develop clear visions of the future, including military equipment, alternative strategies and war strategies.

She has written several books including “War and Conflict,” “The Battle of Bannockburn 1314,” “1314: Bannockburn” – going into detail of what happened in the war, and how the battle is still significant today – and “London’s Civil War 1642-46.” She also speaks about the military campaigns, equipment, weapons and political views during wars in the middle ages. In 2003, her book “War and Conflict” was published. At the time, Lynette had not yet undergone gender reassignment surgery, and was still living as a man (physically). This book was meant to be part of a self-help book for teenagers. She even goes through real-life case studies.

Lynette has also published work online through “The Times of Israel.”

A section of her blog is dedicated to her work about UNRWA, Acts of War, the Aleppo refugees, and so many more well-written articles tackling essential topics. Some of her articles were published in the “Huffington Post,” a famous online news outlet.

For the English Historical Review, she wrote an article entitled “Civil War: Supply of Victuals to the New Model Army on the Naseby Campaign, 1-14 June 1645.”

She appeared on the History Channel several times as Dr. Aryeh Nusbacher, before her transition, as a military expert to provide trustworthy information, opinions and explanations regarding military operations and defence strategies. Her first television appearance was in 2003 in the series, “Time Commanders”, and proved herself as an excellent expert in military history, later appearing in many more episodes of the series from 2003 to 2005.

She is a member of the Surrey Police Independent Advisory Group. Lynette currently works at a cabinet office in London, and lecturing postgraduate Strategic Studies at the University of Reading.

Television Series Documentary

In 2003, she appeared in “National Geographic: Beyond the Movie – The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.”

From 2004 to 2005, she appeared in “Battlefield Detectives,” in “Weaponology” in 2007 and in “Conspiracy” in 2015.

Her most recent appearance in a television documentary series was in 2019’s “Mysteries of the Abandoned.”

Personal life

Lynette met Melanie Bright in 1997, while she was still studying for her PhD in History. They dated just short of one year before marrying on 7 June 1998, and lived in Surrey, England for several years.

Melanie was born in Canada; she has a Master in War Studies, a BA Honors in Political Studies, and a Diploma in Public Relations. She has been working as the Head of Communications at Winchester City Council since 2018.

In 2007, Lynette underwent gender reassignment surgery. Melanie was incredibly supportive of Lynette, and protected her wife against any potentially hateful remarks, ‘She does not wish to talk to you about a private matter,’ she would tell anyone who asked questions about Lynette’s transition.

Lynette and Melanie have two children together. The family lives near Guildford, Surrey.

Hobbies, favorite things and interesting facts

According to reliable sources, Lynette taught Prince William and Prince Harry at Sandhurst.

Sources also state that she was staying in Sandhurst when she underwent her surgery from male to female so that her physical appearance would match how she felt on the inside. Apparently, the top order demanded that everybody treat her with the utmost respect, and refer to her as ‘Ma’am’ from there onwards. The Major General of Sandhurst, Peter Pearson, warned that any rude or snide comments about Lynette would be ‘treated with severe punishment.’

From 2011 to 2013 in the PINK Lists, Lynette has been ranked at number 53, 68 and 77. The Pink List ranks the most influential LGBTQ+ community members; before 2014, it was called the Rainbow List.

The British national newspaper, “The Independent on Sunday,” annually publishes the list which began in 2000 as a way to honor and thank all openly LGBTQ+ people. Lynette is active in the Jewish community, doing her best to promote traditional Jewish traditions and keep the history alive; because she is a Jew herself, so she understands the importance of culture and tradition.

She is nicknamed ‘Mrs Gunfire.’

Appearance

She has brown hair and grey eyes. She is 5ft 7in (1.7m) tall, weighs 165lbs (75kg), and her vital statistics are 34-28-35.

Net worth and salary

As of early 2020, her net worth is estimated at $1.3 million.