Cristina Ortiz Rodríguez, better known as La Veneno, was a Spanish singer, actress, sex worker and media personality. She rose to fame on the late-night talk showsEsta noche cruzamos el Mississippi and La sonrisa del pelícano, broadcast in Spain between 1996 and 1997 and hosted by the journalist Pepe Navarro. La Veneno was one of the first transgender women to become widely known in Spain, and has since been recognised as a pioneering trans icon. In 2020, a critically acclaimed series following her life became a hit show in Spain.
Early life
La Veneno was born in Adra, Almería, the daughter of José María Ortiz López and María Jesús Rodríguez Rivera. She noted from an early age that she was different from other children, and in her adolescence she realised that she was in fact transgender. She suffered aggression and abuse from people in her hometown who did not accept her gender identity.
Career
In 1991 she left her hometown for Madrid. Later, in 1992, she started her process of transition and she worked as a prostitute in the Parque del Oeste in Madrid. There she was discovered in 1996 by the reporter Faela Saiz, who interviewed her for a TV feature on prostitution for the late-night show Esta noche cruzamos el Mississippi on Telecinco. The interview, showcasing La Veneno's outrageous humour, was a hit. The show's host, Pepe Navarro, subsequently invited her to become a regular contributor. Her rise to fame was almost immediate, and she helped the programme reach viewing figures of almost eight million. Later, she contributed to the programme La sonrisa del pelícano on Antena 3. La Veneno recorded two singles, Veneno pa' tu piel and El rap de La Veneno, and her career as a vedette and show-woman took off. She toured Spain, performing in galas and making personal appearances at nightclubs and festivals. When La sonrisa del pelícano ended, she spent a month doing TV work in Buenos Aires, before returning to Spain and participating in other programmes for Telemadrid and Antena 3, among other channels. She also took part in two pornographic films, El secreto de la Veneno and La venganza de la Veneno. She also acted in six episodes of the series En plena forma, starring Alfredo Landa.
Prison term
In 2003, Cristina was implicated in a case of arson and insurance fraud, and she was reported to the police by her then-boyfriend Andrea Petruzzelli. She was accused of intentionally setting fire to her flat in order to claim the insurance money. She was found guilty, and sentenced to three years in prison. She was sent to an all-male prison.
Media coverage
Upon leaving prison, in 2006, Cristina told the media that she had been raped and abused by the prison guards. This was disputed by the Spanish prison authorities. She spoke openly about her weight gain in prison, and she was invited onto several television programmes, her career apparently recovering. In October 2010, the sensationalist Spanish TV show¿Dónde estás corazón? challenged La Veneno to lose all the weight she had put on. By March 2011, La Veneno had lost 35 kg. It was subsequently revealed that she had been suffering from bulimia and severe depression, as well as suffering deep anxiety. On 10th May 2013, La Veneno appeared on Sálvame Deluxe on Telecinco to promote her book Ni puta, ni santa . In August 2013, she revealed that her ex-boyfriend had fled with all her savings, over 60,000 euros, and she was living on just 300€ a month in benefits. In 2014 she was sent back to prison, this time a female prison, for eight months. On 3 October 2016, she finally launched her long-awaited memoir, Digo! Ni puta ni Santa. Las memorias de La Veneno, co-written with the help of her friend, the journalist and writer Valeria Vegas.
Death
On 5 November 2016, Cristina had been found semi-conscious in her house, covered with bruises and with a deep wound to the head, which caused a traumatic brain injury. She was found there by her boyfriend, and there were bloodstains in her bathroom. She was taken by ambulance to the Hospital Universitario La Paz, where she was placed in an induced coma as a preventative measure. She remained in intensive care. Cristina died four days later, on 9 November 2016. The post mortem determined that the cause of death was an accidental fall. She had apparently taken a very large dose of Trankimazin tablets and alcohol. A second post mortem reached the same verdict. While she was hospitalised in the ICU, people close to La Veneno speculated that the death was not accidental, because she received death threats after the publication of her autobiography, which talked about affairs she had with powerful people. Her ashes were scattered half in the Parque del Oeste, and half in her hometown of Adra. In 2017, a plaque was unveiled to honour her in the Parque del Oeste. The 2020 TV seriesVeneno is based on her life.
