≡ Florinda Meza: "I'm a Woman Who Loves Only Once" ➤ Brain Berries

Florinda Meza and Roberto Gómez Bolaños, better known as Chespirito, are two of the most recognizable faces in Latin American television, thanks to their unforgettable characters Doña Florinda and El Chavo in the comedy series El Chavo del 8. Ironically, unlike what viewers saw on screen, the two shared a real-life romance that began in the 1970s and lasted until Bolaños’ death in 2014. Since then, Meza hasn’t been involved with another man. Keep reading to find out why.

A Controversial Couple

In the early 1970s, Chespirito, then 44, and Florinda Meza, 22, met on the set of El Chavo del 8. At the time, he was married to Argentine-born Graciela Fernández, with whom he had six children. Meza, meanwhile, had previously been in a relationship with Enrique Segoviano, the show’s director, and had a brief romance with Carlos Villagrán, who played Quico.

From the beginning, there were rumors that the two were attracted to each other. On October 12, 1976, during a work trip, they shared a kiss. That moment marked the beginning of a romance filled with tensions among cast members, divorces, separations, and public criticism.

Against All Odds

In his autobiography, Sin querer queriendo, Gómez Bolaños claimed that his marriage to Fernández, which had lasted 18 years before his romance with Meza began, had become «empty.» It wasn’t the first time the couple had experienced problems because of his infidelity. When Meza told him she didn’t want to be «the other woman,» the comedian separated from Fernández.

Once their relationship became public, conflicts began to emerge among the cast of El Chavo del 8. It has been suggested that the departures of Carlos Villagrán and Ramón Valdés, who played Don Ramón, were partly influenced by the situation.

«They called me a ‘husband stealer,’ and they accused him of abandoning his children,» Meza recalled years later in an interview.

Despite everything, the couple stayed together and married in 2004, after nearly three decades as partners. Meza remained by the actor and screenwriter’s side until his death in 2014.

Forever Faithful

Meza and Chespirito spent 38 years together, until his death in 2014 at the age of 85. They never had children together because the actor had undergone a vasectomy before meeting her. However, their relationship remained strong, thanks in part to their professional collaborations.

Beyond El Chavo del 8, they worked together on other popular productions, including El Chapulín Colorado and sketches featuring El Chómpiras and Doctor Chapatín.

In 2026, journalists asked Meza whether she planned to enter another romantic relationship or get married again. Her response was unequivocal: she intended to remain faithful to the love she still felt for her late husband.

«For obvious reasons. I’m a woman who loves only once, nothing more,» she told reporters in Cancún, where she lives.

Her Health

In 2025, the biographical series Chespirito: Sin querer queriendo, produced by Roberto Gómez Fernández, the comedian’s son, premiered. The show’s portrayal of Meza was far from flattering, and rumors quickly began circulating that the actress was experiencing depression, anxiety, and emotional distress because of how the public perceived her.

However, although she stated in several interviews that what the series said about her «wasn’t true,» Meza insisted that she was in perfectly good health and only experienced age-related ailments.

She has reportedly turned to treatments such as ozone therapy to address muscle pain.

A Possible Reconciliation?

During the same interview in which she declared that she had no intention of pursuing another romantic relationship, Meza also spoke about María Antonieta de las Nieves.

The tensions surrounding her romance with Chespirito didn’t just lead to disagreements with Carlos Villagrán. They also strained her relationship with the actress who played La Chilindrina.

Nevertheless, Meza suggested that the door wasn’t completely closed to a reunion.

«I haven’t heard anything about her in a very long time. I’m open to seeing many friends I haven’t seen in ages. I have friends I’ve known since adolescence whom I can’t see because I live in Cancún, and I miss them terribly.»