May will forever be etched in the heart of María Celeste Arrarás, as a month that brought her one of the greatest sorrows she has faced in her personal life. On May 2, the journalist unexpectedly lost her life partner, Raúl Quintana. There was no forewarning of the tragedy, no omen to decipher the storm approaching.
Though she has been known to be private about her love life, just last December, María Celeste shared a photograph with Raúl, declaring him her “best gift.” Although their story dates back some time, this was the first image of them, which caused quite a stir; the tenacious and dedicated journalist everyone knew was in love, a side many might not have known. This post was followed by several others in recent months, showcasing her happiness beside her man with an eternal smile and platinum hair.
María Celeste Arrarás and Raúl Quintana on a ski trip in Aspen
Just days prior, they reveled in the university graduations of the journalist’s two youngest children, Lara and Adrián, amidst familial bliss. With their studies successfully concluded, joy permeated their household. However, amidst this happiness, María Celeste embarked on a journey to Spain with cherished friends, only to have her world unravel. Within hours of arriving in Madrid, she received the devastating call that no one ever wishes to receive: across the ocean in Miami, Raúl’s heart had stopped beating. Weeks later, María Celeste Arrarás graciously invites us into her private sphere during this tender period, offering her initial reflections since the heart-wrenching event that abruptly shattered her happiness. *This interview has been translated from Spanish to English*
“It was a beautiful story that, sadly, ended at its best moment,” she revealed to us in her first interview since his passing.
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María Celeste, how would you define your relationship with Raúl?
It was a nice story that, sadly, ended at its best moment. That's why I don't focus on 'why' it had to end so soon but on 'why' it happened. I am waiting for that hidden lesson that I am sure is yet to be revealed.
What was his relationship with your children like?
He was dedicated to my children since he met them when they were very little because he always loved children. He sat with my son Adrián to help him with math every day. He never missed my daughter Lara’s volleyball games, and until the night before his death, he showered my son Julián with kisses and hugs. And above all, he talked to them, he was interested in their hobbies, and he gave them advice. The three of them loved him just like a dad and always, always told him that.
I know you have several beautiful memories, but which would you say is the most beautiful of them?
I think that this second stage that we lived is the most beautiful and unforgettable. During the years that we were separated, each of us lived experiences that made us grow and when we were together again everything fell into place in perfect order and harmony. I can tell you that we lived these two years to the fullest in all aspects.
What is your relationship with his family like?
Very good. They are very loved and we are united by the pain of losing him. Like me, they still can't get over their astonishment because everything happened so quickly. Nothing prepares you for something like this.
He was devoted to my children from the moment he met them when they were very young because he always loved children,” María Celeste recalled about the close relationship Raúl formed with her kids.
Aspen: where his ashes will rest
What remained unfulfilled—a journey, a family gathering, a collaborative project?
They say that 'man proposes and God disposes' and yes, a thousand plans were left in the pipeline. The one that we were most excited about was that we wanted to start spending three to four months a year at our home in Aspen. He loved it there, he said it was his happy place. Therefore, we are going to spread part of his ashes there. (This) will be in the future, it's not like I have a trip planned. I go there frequently because I have a house there and I'm going to do it the next time I go, which will likely be in August.
How did you envision your future together now that the boys were beginning to fly the nest?
Luckily my children have no immediate plans to 'fly the nest' and if it's up to me, they would stay with me forever. He thought the same. My children love the atmosphere in our house, they have a great sense of family unity and are very happy in this environment. They loved sitting at the table with Raúl and talking about things with him, joking. He always said that being with all of us was his favorite pastime and that he wouldn't change it for anything. Every day he said that he was the happiest man in the world!
María Celeste Arrarás and Raúl Quintana on vacation in Aspen, place where their ashes will be spread
“He loved it there, he said it was his happy place. For this reason, we are going to spread part of his ashes there,” María Celeste shared with us about Aspen, where she plans to carry out this action around the month of August, on her next trip.
The moment she received the news
What was the moment when you found out the news? You were arriving in Madrid...
I had just landed in Madrid just a few hours before and I went out with some friends to have lunch and then we visited a clothing store. I was entering the dressing room to try on some clothes, when I received a call from my eldest son Julián to tell me that the paramedics were at the house because Adrián had found Raúl unconscious. Adrián and a visiting friend tried to resuscitate him, as did medical personnel who arrived shortly after, but he had suffered a sudden cardiac syncope and never regained consciousness.
Do you remember what were the last words that were said?
That is a small treasure that I would like to keep for myself, but I can tell you that I left it written in a note before leaving for the airport to Madrid. It was brief but from the heart and I'm sure he was very emotional because he loved those details.
María Celeste Arrarás and Raúl Quintana in a recent photograph
“He always wanted the best for me. What I can tell you is that, if that time comes, it will be very difficult to find someone to fill his shoes,” the journalist told us about her future on a personal level.
Besides your children and your mother, who have been unconditionally by your side during these moments?
I have had the unconditional support of an army of family and friends. When I opened my WhatsApp on the plane returning to Miami from Madrid, it had 971 messages, not counting the hundreds of text messages and emails. My friends have come to visit us, to bring us food, to accompany us... There are no words to express the gratitude I feel. For me, shared pain hurts less.
How do your children handle this process?
For my three children, it was initially harder because they witnessed everything, but that also helped them accept its finality more quickly. For me, who stopped seeing him as beautiful, cheerful, and full of life, it is more difficult to come to terms with it.
It’s very early, but how can you heal this wound and in the future believe in love again?
Raúl always said that if one day he were gone, he would like me to rebuild my life with someone else. He always wanted the best for me. What I can tell you is that, if that time comes, it will be very difficult to find someone to fill his shoes.
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