Carlos Marin’s ex-wife has arrived at his funeral home today for a private wake as she revealed she bid goodbye to the Il Divo singer in an emotional call when he ‘knew he wasn’t going to make it’.
Geraldine Larrosa, who remained very close to the Spanish baritone despite their 2009 divorce, wore black as she attended the memorial with her nine-year-old daughter Scarlett and her new partner Sergio Arce, whose godfather was Carlos.
The actress and singer, 44, fought back tears as she recalled her final FaceTime call with Carlos who died from Covid in a Manchester hospital last week.
She said: ‘Before being intubated he said goodbye to me because he knew he wasn’t going to pull through and it was the saddest image in my life.
‘He called me and told me he loved me like mad and that I was the woman of his life and asked me to take care of his family.’
Carlos Marin’s ex-wife Geraldine Larrosa (pictured), who goes by the stage name Innocence, arrived at his Madrid funeral home today
Larrosa wore black as she attended the memorial with her nine-year-old daughter Scarlett and her new partner Sergio Arce, whose godfather was Carlos
Carlos Marin’s ex-wife Geraldine Larrosa (pictured together in October) has revealed she bid goodbye to the Il Divo singer in an emotional call
The actress and singer, 44, fought back tears as she recalled her final FaceTime call with Carlos
The French-born artist, whose pre-recorded New Years Eve performance of Bohemian Rhapsody with Carlos for Spanish TV is expected to be screened despite his untimely death, added: ‘We had survived the pandemic and in the end the pandemic has taken him from me.
‘He was the most kind-hearted person in the world, the greatest artist in Spain and the whole world. I still can’t believe what’s happened.
‘I’m going to carry on fighting for his dreams and the dreams we had together. I don’t want the world to forget him.’
Late last night Geraldine said on social media: ‘Tomorrow is going to be the saddest day of my life.’
The 44-year-old singer and actress described him as the ‘great love of my life’ as she opened her heart to fans following his December 19 death at Manchester Royal Hospital.
The French-born artist’s pre-recorded New Years Eve performance of Bohemian Rhapsody with Carlos for Spanish TV is expected to be screened
The singer, who goes by the stage name Innocence, said Carlos will ‘always be the great love of my life’
Carlos (second from left) is due to be cremated after a mass tomorrow and his ashes deposited at Our Lady of Almudena Cemetery
The French-born artist, better known by her stage name Innocence, flew to the UK after the 53-year-old’s condition worsened and he was admitted to hospital before ending up in an induced coma in intensive care.
She was one of the first of the many family and friends due to attend a private wake which started at 10am local time and is due to finish at 3pm before the funeral home is opened up to fans who want to pay their last respects later this afternoon from 4pm.
Carlos’ sister Rosa, who helped repatriate his body from the UK over the weekend, and his mother Magdalena Menchero are expected to arrive shortly along with Carlos’ bandmates David Miller, Sebastian Izambard and Urs Buhler.
Rosa revealed last week the singer would be buried in the trademark Armani suit he wore on stage at performances around the world, although his coffin will be closed at the wake in line with Covid regulations.
The French-born artist, better known by her stage name Innocence, flew to the UK after the 53-year-old’s condition worsened
Fans will be able to pay tribute to the baritone, who was one of four classically-trained singers forming part of the Simon Cowell-created crossover group Il Divo. He will be laid to rest on Tuesday after a public wake in Madrid (Marin pictured right in 2019)
The public wake, organised by his family so as many fans as possible could bid farewell to him, will finish at 8pm local time.
Carlos is due to be cremated after a mass tomorrow and his ashes deposited at Our Lady of Almudena Cemetery, the largest in Madrid and one of the largest in western Europe, alongside those of his father in a family niche in accordance with his last wishes.
Geraldine admitted last week in a clear demonstration of the great relationship she and her ex still enjoyed: ‘Most people already know but I’ll say it again because I want the whole world to know.
‘Carlos Marin has been and will always be the great love of my life. ‘He’s the kindest and most generous person in the world.’
The wake is taking place amid uncertainty over the path his family will now decide to take following his death.
The family of Il Divo star Carlos Marin (pictured), will look at the treatment he received before his death
Rosa ended days of speculation about the cause last week by revealing Carlos had caught the Delta variant and it had attacked his lungs, leaving him in an induced coma in intensive care.
Carlos’ lawyer Alberto Martin, who helped him take a crazed fan to court in September after she penned a string of X-rated letters and left him enduring sleepless nights with death threats, said last week before his body was repatriated: ‘I spoke with his mum the day he died and she was saying she was convinced that if had been in Spain, he could have survived.
‘We don’t know if it’s been because of the care he received or the natural evolution of the virus and if Carlos’ mum said what she said out of the desperation she feels at his loss but the fact is they haven’t managed to keep him alive.
‘It’s something that we’ll have to analyse when we see all the medical documents because we feel there was time to control his situation and improve things so he could pull through and have his life saved which was the most important thing.’
He added in a Spanish TV interview: ‘We sincerely didn’t think we were going to see this terrible outcome.’
In separate comments published by respected Spanish daily El Mundo, the Madrid-based lawyer added: ‘The family are not happy with anything because they’re heartbroken.
‘We didn’t anticipate this situation, neither the evolution or the outcome.
‘We can’t explain it because he had been improving, his lungs were functioning on their own but suddenly everything went downhill.
‘The intubation had to be changed and from there the outcome was fatal.
‘I’ve heard Carlos’ mum say that if he had been in Spain he could perhaps have been saved.
‘When we get to see the medical reports we’ll know why he hasn’t pulled through.’