Who was Broselianda Hernandez Boudet? Cuban actress, 56, found dead along the shore at Miami beach
A popular Cuban actress, Broselianda Hernandez Boudet, was found dead along the shoreline in Miami Beach, Florida this week, according to authorities. Reports state that Hernández Boudet's body was discovered by someone walking on the beach near 79th Street and Collins Avenue around 6.30 am on Wednesday, November 18. The 56-year-old was found unresponsive.
A video from the location where her body was found was aired by Local10, which showed the moment first responders arrived at the beach and covered her body with a yellow tarpaulin before taking her away from there. She was later identified as the well-known actress who has performed in multiple Cuban films like “Habanera” and “Things I Left in Havana." The actress' relative said that she had gone out on Tuesday night, November 17, to purchase cigarettes, but did not return home, according to WPLG. The official cause of her heath has not yet been released but police believed that she may have drowned. No foul play is being suspected in the case either. The Havana-born actress had been living in Miami for the past five years.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel shared the news of Hernandez Boudet's demise on Thursday, November 19, on Twitter, and sent his condolences to her loved ones. He wrote: "Farewell to an exceptional actress named Broselianda. We mourn her early loss. Our condolences to her family and friends." The ministry of economy also paid its tribute to the late actress in a tweet.
Farewell to an exceptional actress named Broselianda. We mourn her early loss. Our condolences to her family and friends. #SomosCubahttps://t.co/yYOajKsuGE
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) November 19, 2020
Fallece la actriz cubana Broselianda Hernández Boudet. A todos sus familiares y amigos,nuestras condolencias.🖤🖤 pic.twitter.com/EThD4h73ac
— Ministerio de Economía (@MEP_CUBA) November 19, 2020
Hernández Boudet rose to fame after starring in 1990s Cuban soap operas like “When Water Returns to Land” — for which she won an acting award — and “Women of Honor.” In 2010, she starred as the mother of Cuban independence hero Jose Martí in the biopic “Martí, the Eye of the Canary." The actress' last film, before she moved to Miami in 2015, was "The Companion." She is also well-known for her performance in Barro Cuba.
A fan of the actress shared a tribute for her Twitter, calling her a unique actress. The user wrote: "Today all #Cuba mourns the loss of a great actress, a unique actress, a great loss suffered by Cuban culture. Graduated in Acting from the Higher Institute of Art, with a Gold degree, in 1987. Outstanding in film, theater and television."
Hoy toda #Cuba lamenta la pérdida de una gran actriz, una actriz única, gran pérdida que sufre la cultura cubana. Graduada de Actuación en el Instituto Superior de Arte, con título de Oro, en 1987. Destacada en el cine, el teatro y la televisión.🇨🇺😥😥 @ChachoPerez9 #SomosCuba pic.twitter.com/gQFy4FbcBg
— Yaima López (@YaimaLpez4) November 19, 2020
Cuban singer Liuba Maria Hevia, also shared her grief after hearing the tragic news and took to Instagram to express how hard it was to say goodbye to her friend. She wrote that she "will never know how to say goodbye" to Hernandez Boudet.
The actress was reportedly also struggling with some mental health issues. Hernandez Boudet, in a 2010 interview with the Spanish-language news outlet Cuba Debate, had described herself as "very bipolar" and had added that she was struggling with moments of depression at the time. As she talked about her battle with mental health issues, she told the interviewer: "Sometimes I feel eighty years old."
The actress is survived by her adult daughter, Sofia, her life partner, and her elderly parents.