What Happened to Suzy Perez? The Former Model and Backup Dancer Is Struggling
May 4 2020, Updated 1:03 p.m. ET
In the ‘90s and early 2000s, Suzy Perez enjoyed a successful career as a model and a dancer. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Suzy moved to America with dreams of being part of the entertainment industry, and it didn’t take long for those dreams to come true. She was a backup dancer for Jennifer Lopez and also worked with Sean Combs. Unfortunately, Suzy’s life took a turn in recent years and she is going through some struggles now. What happened to Suzy Perez? Here’s what we know.
What happened to Suzy Perez?
Back in the fall of 2019, Univision’s Genela Solano discovered that Suzy Perez was living on the streets and had been battling an addiction to heroin for several years. Suzy reportedly told Genela that after her mother’s death, her life had gone into a downward spiral and she was struggling to stabilize her life.
Suzy also revealed that she had a child, then shared a touching message for them: “I love you and want you to know you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” she said into the rolling cameras. Three days later, Univision arranged for a moving reunion between Suzy and her child. In the video of the reunion, Suzy says she is once again going to fight to get her life back on track.
After the reunion, Suzy made several steps toward sobriety.
Recently, Suzy’s many well-wishers have been wondering how the former model has been doing. As part of her journey, Suzy started an Instagram profile where she shared progress photos and kept people in the loop. For a time, it looked as though Suzy’s life had taken a turn for the better. She was slowly making progress and accepting the support and help that she needed.
Unfortunately, it appears as though Suzy is again struggling with her addiction. Suzy’s child, Senna Celestino, recently shared on Twitter that their mother has relapsed and is currently living on the streets once again. “I appreciate the support y’all giving my mom. But she is using the money y’all give her on the street to buy drugs,” they wrote in a tweet. “She has denied housing and staying at the psych to continue to do drugs.”
“She is an adult and is able to consent for herself. We can’t make her get the help she NEEDS,” they continued in another tweet. At this time, Suzy’s Instagram account appears to be inactive, and there are no longer any public posts.
Suzy’s child also said that prior to this recent relapse, Suzy had been “making really good progress.” Our hope is that Suzy will once again decide to accept the help she needs. In the meantime, our thoughts are with Senna Celestino and any other people affected by Suzy’s struggle with addiction.
If you or someone you know needs help, use SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator to find support for mental health and substance use disorders in your area: https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov, or call 1-800-662-4357 for 24-hour assistance.
