alejandro sanz
Alejandro Sanz Latin Billboards/Courtesy
In Spanish

Spanish singer-songwriter Alejandro Sanz is releasing the first single from his upcoming album this Friday. The song, titled "Palmeras en el Jardín," is dedicated to his former partner, Cuban visual artist Rachel Valdés. However, the song may no longer reflect his current state of mind, as he has been spotted in Miami, where he now lives, seemingly in good company.

Sanz and Valdés were together for several years, and their breakup left the artist with a "broken heart," a sentiment he openly shared on social media, cried about during his last tour, and eventually turned into music. "It's very autobiographical, obviously autobiographical," Sanz admitted while discussing his new song at the Billboard Latin Music Week.

What he didn't mention, however, became apparent on the night of Saturday, October 19th, when Sanz attended an Inter Miami soccer match with a curly-haired blonde woman. Interestingly, fans quickly noted that she bears a striking resemblance to Shakira, with whom Sanz has been romantically linked by fans since the Colombian star's separation.

Internet sleuths immediately went to work identifying the mystery woman, and they did not disappoint. The lady accompanying Sanz was revealed to be Spanish actress Candela Márquez, who is well known to Hispanic audiences in the U.S. for her roles in "Betty en NY," the Telemundo adaptation of "Yo soy Betty La Fea," and "Malverde, El Santo Patrón."

How do we know they were together? Sanz even introduced Márquez to David Beckham, with whom he appears to have a strong rapport, judging by their body language.

You can watch their interaction here:

Who is Candela Márquez?

The 36-year-old actress was born in Valencia, Spain, and has built a successful career starring in television, film, and theater productions across Spain, Mexico, and the United States. Her first major role in Latin America came in 2014, when she played Aitana de la Riva in the telenovela "Muchacha Italiana Viene a Casarse." Márquez's most recent appearance in Mexican television was as a finalist in the 2022 edition of the reality show "Las Estrellas Bailan en Hoy," part of the popular morning show "Hoy."



In 2023, Márquez found herself at the center of a media storm in Mexico after rumors surfaced that actors Cristián de la Fuente and Pablo Montero were vying for her attention while they co-starred in the play "Los Amantes Perfectos." In fact, there were even reports that the two actors allegedly got into a physical altercation out of jealousy over Márquez.