Paola Durante, known for her autobiographical book Not Everything Is Rosy, narrates the painful experience of being accused as an alleged accomplice in the murder of Paco Stanley. Back in 1998, Durante had no interest in the TV industry, instead, her focus was on modeling and cheerleading. However, she was called to do promotional work for a new TV Azteca program that led to new income and fame, which didn’t turn out to be positive.
Durante was part of the hostess team for Paco Stanley’s program One After Another, which was a copy of his previous program on Televisa called ¡Pácatelas!. During the promo recordings, the show’s driver decided that Durante would be part of the team. “I saw him as a superhero…I had a lot of respect and sometimes I was afraid of him because he was very demanding,” Durante said.
The show came to a sudden end in June 1999, after Stanley’s murder which left Durante trying to return to anonymity. However, she ended up becoming a recognized and publicly judged figure. Durante has shared for over two decades how she was involved in what many call the first media crime in Mexico. She has been part of many investigations, including witness identification as ‘the güera’ who allegedly received orders from a couple of drug traffickers and passed them on to Stanley’s alleged murderer, Mario Bezares.
Despite being exonerated, Durante struggled to regain her credibility and tried to get away from the unwanted spotlight that she hated. The rumors of being a ‘murderer’ were hard to bear, and it was difficult for her to separate herself from television. Her desire to work and provide for her daughter compelled her to accept the projects that came her way.
Durante’s journey towards healing her past has been slow. She hopes the documentary series by Diego Enrique Osorno, El Show: Chronicle of a Murder, will help her move forward. Although Durante now focuses on musical performances and being an influencer, her desire to stay away from television is yet to be achieved.
