Sasha Montenegro, '70s and '80s Movie Star, Has Died

Regarded as one of the most iconic actresses in Mexican cinema, Montenegro was also well-known for her romance with former Mexican President José López Portillo.

By Allison Schonter

Iconic Mexican actress Sasha Montenegro has died. The legendary actress, the widow of former Mexican President José López Portillo, passed away on Wednesday, Feb. 14 after suffering a brain hemorrhage amid her years-long battle with lung cancer, according to HOLA!. She was 78.

"The National Association of Interpreters announces the sensitive passing of the partner interpreter Sasha Montenegro," Mexico's Asociación Nacional de Intérpretes (National Actors' Association) confirmed Montenegro's passing. "Renowned actress and star who belonged to the era of Mexican file cinema. [She] is remembered by the movies 'Bellas de noche,' 'Pedro knives' and 'Forbidden beach.' To [her] family and friends we send our deepest condolences from the ANDI Board of Directors and Supervision Committee."

Born Aleksandra Aćimović Popović in Bari, Italy in 1946, Montenegro relocated with her family to Argentina before later settling in Mexico in 1969, where she began her acting career after she was discovered by a producer who offered her a role in a film. Montenegro went on to appear in her first movie, Un sueño de amor, in 1972, starring opposite José José. She would go on to become one of the most iconic actresses in Mexican cinema, starring in dozens of films over her 30-year career, which spanned genres including romance, comedy, and westerns.

Along with films alongside the iconic Mexican wrestler El Santo like Dr. Frankenstein and Santo and Blue Demon, the actress, who obtained Mexican citizenship in 1989, starred in movies including Carnival Nights, Midnight Dolls, La Golfa del Barrio, and Fieras en Brama. She also appeared in a series of telenovelas from 1974 to 2002, including Ana del Aire, Lo imperdonable, Rina, and Un mujer maracada, per Remezcla.

Outside of her acting career, Montenegro was well-known for her romance with then-president José López Portillo in the '80s. At the time, López Portillo was married, though he divorced his wife in 1991 and married Montenegro four years later in 1995. They had two children, Nabila and Alejandro, and divorced in 2004, Montenegro later telling the publication El Pais, "I never wanted to marry or have children. But it seems like there are things that are in your destiny."

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