Maribel Guardia Withdraws From Grandson's Visitation Over Alleged Setup

Mexican-Costa Rican actress Maribel Guardia has abandoned plans to resume contact with her grandson, José Julián, despite believing a favorable visitation ruling was imminent. In a video released October 19, 2026, Guardia said she feared the reunion could expose her husband, Marco Chacón, or herself to allegations of child abuse, escalating an ongoing dispute with the boy's mother, Imelda Garza Tuñón.

According to reports by Infobae and El Universal, Guardia said her lawyer informed her that Tuñón's legal team had submitted a private assessment that allegedly accused Guardia and Chacón of mistreatment. These claims have not been independently established in the available reports.

Guardia said she feared the first meeting could be used to implicate her husband in a serious alleged assault. She also warned that she could face accusations herself if Chacón left the country during the visitation period.

Explaining her decision, Guardia described the alleged danger in her public statement.

"The most painful thing is that there is a sinister plan to use the first visit to blame my husband for some kind of horrific assault, and if he leaves the country, the accusation would fall on me," Guardia said.

The actress maintained that withdrawing from visitation did not mean she had stopped loving her grandson. She said she had raised José Julián from birth until he was eight years old and described the prospect of remaining separated from him as deeply painful.

Guardia explained that her decision was intended to protect the child and her family from the anticipated consequences of the disputed meeting.

"I am forced to give up something I was about to achieve: spending time with the child I raised from the moment he was born, and not because I have stopped loving him, but because I know the meeting I have waited for so long will be used to harm all of us, including him," Guardia said.

She also expressed concern about the effect of the adults' legal conflict on the child. According to Infobae, Guardia previously criticized an online broadcast in which the boy appeared wearing a mask and made hostile statements about her. She cited that incident as part of her concerns about the new assessment.

Guardia said she hoped her grandson would eventually understand why she had chosen to remain distant. She also argued that the child should be able to maintain contact with his father's family.

"The only thing that boy has left of his father is me," Guardia said, referring to her late son, Julián Figueroa, who was José Julián's father.

Lawyer Alonso Beceiro said Guardia's decision to withdraw from visitation would not affect other legal proceedings involving Tuñón. Those proceedings include allegations of homicide, failure to provide assistance and harm to health connected to Figueroa's death, according to El Universal. The allegations remain claims in the ongoing legal dispute.

El Universal also reported that Tuñón had previously said publicly that she deceived her psychiatrist to obtain controlled medication and subsequently gave it to Figueroa without medical supervision. Beceiro said the legal process would seek to establish what happened during Figueroa's final days.

Guardia's announcement followed more than a year and a half without seeing her grandson, according to Univision. The actress and her lawyer have continued to raise concerns about the family dispute while separate legal matters remain unresolved.