Who is Angelo Garcia? Ricky Martin's former Menudo bandmate, 46, reveals he was 'raped at 11'
The new HBO Max documentary which has captured the life of the boy band Menudo has given us some shocking revelations. As the trailer itself revealed, their manager Edgardo Diaz, came up with the formula of a boy band where every member would be replaced as soon as they hit the age of 16, which would keep the rotation alive. While the formula was a huge success and allowed these Puerto Rican artists to break through, it came with a price. Members like Angelo Garcia have revealed their life, while in Menudo, was all about drugs, sex, and rock and roll. It came to the point where he was raped at the age of 11.
In HBO Max's documentary titled 'Menudo: Forever Young', it's revealed that many musicians suffered from premature exposure to drugs, bullying, and whatnot. Garcia joined the boy band just after he turned 11 and says he was raped in a hotel room by an unknown man who even gave him alcohol during his 1988-90 period. Garcia said, "All I remember was that I, like, passed out. When I woke up, I was naked and I was bleeding, so I knew that I had been penetrated. I had, like, these burn marks on my face from the rug … I was very confused and I didn’t understand.” However, his story didn't end here. He revealed that he was molested a couple of times, "During my time in Menudo, I was raped a series of times, and that was the way that predators would take advantage of me."
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Edgardo, the manager, was the mastermind behind this entire concept. He would scout for young boys, especially from poor families and those who would give up a chunk of parental authority. he was described as the band's "surrogate father" and was the manager and producer as well. The documentary further reveals that almost 32 boys worked in the band in the span of 20 years and most of them were molested, caught up in drug scandals, and oppressed by the working conditions.
Who is Angelo Garcia?
Anglo Garcia is now 46 years old but still living with the trauma. To this date, his biggest feat remains the stardom he got by working with Menudo. However, he has still managed to keep up with his career. Once a popstar, he's now into hair styling and describes himself as an entertainer, and is into 'icon music management'. After Menudo released their first album back in 1977, Garcia joined the band 11 years later. He could barely speak Spanish when he auditioned for a spot in the band. After 3 years with the band, he signed to World Wide Entertainment, which later sold his recording contract to Warner Bros.
Garcia shared the band with Sergio Blass, Rawy Torres, and Robert Avellanet, who reunited in 2005 for a tour under the name of 'Los Ultimos Heroes.' The singer has had a rough life as he wasn't just sexually assaulted in the band. In his interview with Dr. Zoe Today show, he revealed that he was molested by his neighbor when he was 8 years old, in the boy band 'Menudo' by unknown men, and his school teacher after he left the band.