Luis Miguel's Kids & Their Relationship with Him through the Years

Mexican musician Luis Miguel has had a pattern of absence with all three of his children. He was estranged from his only daughter, whom he welcomed at 19 years old, and the same was true with his two sons, whom he shares with Aracely Arambula.

Luis Miguel never married, but the singer is a father of three to one daughter and two sons. Though his career as an internationally recognized vocalist spoke for itself, his personal life, especially his relationship with his children, has been tumultuous.

It has been the subject of speculation and scrutiny for decades. Luis was estranged from his first child for several years before officially recognizing her as his own in her late teens. He was present in his sons' lives in their early years.

However, after an intense child support battle, he grew distant from them and their mother, Aracely Arambula, in the early 2010s. Luis's daughter grew up surrounded by entertainment royalty and soon followed with her successful career in the industry.

Since her reconciliation with her dad, she's grown to admire and respect him. Unfortunately, her younger brothers no longer recognized Miguel as their father since they were ages 7 and 8, now 14 and 16, as their mom shared in July 2015.

Luis Miguel Was Absent from His Kids' Lives

Luis welcomed his first daughter, Michelle Salas, with multi-talented actress Stephanie Salas, on June 13, 1989. He was 19 and at the height of his career. He was part of Michelle's life in her early years but stopped seeing her after she turned six.

In 2005, Miguel started dating Aracely after being romantically linked to the likes of Sofia Vergara and Nick Cannon's ex-wife, Mariah Carey. The pair welcomed their first son, Miguel, on January 1, 2007, and their youngest, Daniel, on December 18, 2008.

They separated in 2009, and Aracely moved back to Mexico with their boys. It was the beginning of a strained relationship, which led to an intense child support battle in court in September 2013. Aracely alleged that Luis hadn't seen his sons in six months.

He also didn't honor his responsibility to them, as his child support payments were irregular. Although he gave their mother money now and then, she was upset that she had no stable financial support.

Miguel and Daniel are now teenagers, and it's unknown if Luis has resumed contact with them. Although Aracely said she avoided speaking ill of the father of three and remembered her relationship with Luis fondly, her boys made up their minds about him.

The Story of Michelle Salas and Luis Miguel's Relationship

In the summer of 2007, news broke that Michelle was reportedly spotted enjoying a private dinner with Luis. Earlier that year, she was also seen celebrating his 36th birthday with his then-girlfriend, Aracely, at Disneyland in California.

At the time, tabloids still identified Michelle as Luis's "presumed daughter." Hence, the previous sightings led to speculations about whether Luis had accepted Michelle as his first child.

Later in 2007, he legally recognized her as his daughter after receiving a positive paternity test. When Stephanie revealed her pregnancy to Luis, which also made headlines, he told her not to worry and promised she wouldn't be without a thing.

However, when asked whether he was expecting a child during several interviews, he denied that he was a soon-to-be father. So, Stephanie relied on her mother and grandmother to help raise her first child. She gave her daughter a wonderful childhood.

Michelle said she never felt she lacked anything growing up, thanks to Stephanie. Though it is said Luis was present from when she was three months, she only discovered he was her father around the age of three, when her mom decided to tell her.

As Michelle recalled, in 2018, she and her dad developed a "beautiful and intense" relationship. However, she knew even then that he prioritized his career above all. And between 1995 and 2007, Luis was absent from her life.

Michelle was 16 when she first opened up about Luis during an interview in 2005. She wanted answers as to why he stayed away for so long and didn't seem to care how she felt about his absence, considering he also came from an unstable family.

Her great-grandmother, longtime actress Silvia Pinal, once wrote a letter to Luis, urging him to return to his daughter's life. She said she didn't know if the letter made any significant difference, as she never saw him.

But she was pleased to know that he was, at least, in contact with Michelle. After their reconciliation, Michelle and Luis made it official when she took her father's last name, Gallego, in 2011. Her full legal name is now Michelle Gallego Salas.

In 2018, the biographical series "Luis Miguel: The Series" chronicled Luis's life from childhood to stardom and detailed his relationship with Michelle. The show touched on a rumor that broke in December 2008, alleging that Michelle was pregnant.

The father of her supposed child would have been her dad's former manager, Alejandro Sensi, who was 20 years her senior. Alejandro and Michelle were reportedly romantically involved since she moved in with her dad in Los Angeles the year before.

Though it was later confirmed that the rumors were false, the media speculated that the alleged romance caused a rift between Michelle and Luis and led to the end of his friendship and partnership with Alejandro.

However, during an interview with Vanity Fair in 2018, Michelle spoke fondly of her father. She described him as a "very human" and "warm" person, contrary to his public persona. She also shared a significant piece of advice he gave her, saying:

"That if you have discipline, it doesn't matter what you are or what you do. The key to success lies in timing, momentum, and forging your own method."

The 33-year-old is also incredibly close with her mom, whom she described as her "rock" and "best friend." Michelle said she shared everything with Stephanie, whether she was in trouble or had something to celebrate.

Michelle Salas Is Now an Influencer

She is also a model and has walked for Dolce & Gabbana, Cartier, and Chanel. She studied fashion design in New York and once collaborated with Carolina Herrera. She has graced the runway alongside stars such as Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis, Isabelle Adjani, and Andrea Dellal.

Speaking with Vanity Fair in 2018, Michelle hinted at the possibility of an acting career. She recently created an Instagram page, Drunk By Beauty, dedicated to her grooming tips and secrets and sharing the products she uses.

Problems with Child Support for the Mother of Luis Miguel's Sons

In 2013, it was revealed that Aracely was receiving $15K a month for child support; however, given Luis's earnings being in the millions, she wanted at least $60K. After he dodged a process server that year, who he claimed never came to him face-to-face, Luis moved from California to Florida.

Therefore, by law, Aracely could no longer have him attend court hearings. Moreover, he wanted the case to be dropped because he claimed he wasn't properly served. Since their parents' court disputes, there's little known about Miguel and Daniel's lives.

Their mom told the Latin Times they no longer saw Luis as their father in 2015. Despite the strained relationship, Aracely maintained her positivity with a grain of salt. She said she hoped that by the time Luis returned to mend fences with his sons, it wouldn't be "too late."