TV Host’s Husband Accused of Stealing $1.6 Million From Popular Influencer

Telemundo star and former Puerto Rico beauty queen Aleyda Ortiz’s husband has been accused of stealing $1.6 million from a popular Latino fitness influencer.

The New York Post reports that, per a lawsuit, Ricardo Casanova, a financial adviser who has been married to the beauty queen for eight years, sidelined funds from Alejandro Chabán, a Venezuela-born entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and television personality, the $4.8 million civil theft lawsuit claims.

Casanova worked as Alejandro Chabán’s financial consultant starting in 2017. With that came access to corporate bank accounts and financial records. Per the legal complaint, from 2017 until his removal in the position in 2024, Casanova reportedly transferred and withdrew company money without permission for his own desire.

Chabán’s attorney, Miranda Soto, said the claim is being brought under Florida’s Civil Theft Statute, which allows for more charges if theft is proven. “Mr. Casanova systematically took funds to which he was not entitled from 2017 until he was discovered in 2024,” Soto said in a statement posted to social media. “He violated the trust placed in him and his fiduciary duty to Mr. Chabán and his companies. This lawsuit not only seeks to protect Mr. Chabán’s businesses, but also his employees, partners, and investors.”

Ortiz won a beauty pageant in 2014 and finished as first runner-up in the Miss Universe Puerto Rico competition that same year. She has appeared on various Telemundo shows and a dancing competition series. 

Chabán, 43, rose to prominence in the Hispanic community for his weight loss journey and position as a wellness and fitness advocate. He has also hosted TV programs and authored best-selling books. He’s also the founder of a nutrition and wellness brand based in Miami.

The case has attracted internal attention, most notably in Spanish-speaking countries.