Mexican singer Vicente Fernández in “serious but stable” condition after fall

Vicente Fernández is recovering from a traumatic fall.

The legendary Grammy-winning Mexican singer, known for hits such as “El Rey” and “Para Siempre,” underwent surgery in Guadalajara and is on a ventilator, according to a statement written in Spanish and shared on social media on Tuesday.

Fernández is in “critical but stable” condition after a fall that caused a spinal cord injury. He is currently “on ventilators and in critical patient care in the intensive care unit,” the statement said.

Although the 81-year-old king of ranchera music is on a ventilator, his doctors say his brain function is intact. They expect his mobility to improve and say he is only minimally sedated.

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The post went on to say that they would keep the singer’s followers updated and asked for privacy. It also said that his family members would not give interviews.

His son, singer Alejandro Fernández, shared a photo of himself with his father on social media.

“I love you, dad,” he captioned his post in Spanish.

Fernández has sold over 65 million albums and appeared in over 35 films. He has won three Grammys and eight Latin Grammys and was named Person of the Year by the Latin Recording Academy in 2002.

This is not the first time Fernández has struggled with health problems. In 2019, he revealed that he had a cancerous lump in his liver, but refused a liver transplant because he feared his donor might be a “homosexual” or “addict.”

“They wanted to give me another man’s liver and I told them: ‘I will not sleep with another man’s liver next to my wife,'” Fernández said at the time on the Mexican television show “De Primera Mano.” “I don’t even know if he was homosexual or a drug addict.”

His controversial comments sparked a strong reaction on the Internet.

“I want to remind you that Vicente Fernandez said he would rather die than get a liver from a gay man when he needed a transplant, so,” said the user @whoachata wrote Wednesday.

Others have pledged their support to the singer.

“From the bottom of my heart I respectfully send LOVE, prayers and healing vibrations to the legend Vicente Fernández who is currently in the hospital in Guadalajara,” said the user @lorinkotb wrote.

A year after this controversy, he suffered a pulmonary thrombosis and in March 2015 the singer had to have three hernias removed.

This year, Fernandez has faced scrutiny over the publication of photos that appear to show him touching women without their consent while posing with them, and has been accused of sexual assault by singer Lupita Castro. Fernandez has denied any inappropriate behavior.

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Contributors: Gabriela Miranda, USA TODAY; and Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vicente Fernández: Mexican singer recovers after fall