Of course, everyone knows the smash hit Ugly Betty starring America Fererra, but did you know that it is based on the hit Columbian telenovela Yo Soy Betty, La Fea? The series took over Columbia and even got the attention of superstar Shakira! The "Hips Don't Lie" singer desperately wanted to be featured on the show but wasn't able to participate... Here's why!
Shakira and Columbia's Ugly Betty
When Yo Soy Betty, La Fea was on the top charts in Columbia the "She Wolf" singer Shakira desperately wanted to be on the show. She reached out to production who excitedly began working to include her in the series. Unfortunately, no one could have expected what got in the way of that happening.
At the time, Shakira lived in Miami, Florida in the United States, and the production behind Yo Soy Betty, La Fea began preparations to move their filming location to Maimi. While going through the process, production was completely at a standstill because some of the cast members of Yo Soy Betty, La Fea were unable to acquire a visa to enter the US!
This is what prevented the show to collaborate with the worldwide superstar. She would have been featured on the series like Olga Tañon, Frank de Vita, Ricardo Montaner, and the former Columbian President Andres Pastrana Arango.
Shakira Wasn't The Only One Left Out On Ugly Betty
Time reported that the visa issue also got in the way of Julio Iglesias, Enrique Iglesias, Gloria Estefan, and Emilio Estefan being featured on the show. The entire production was planning on moving to the US for a few seasons but ended up being filmed in Cartagena de Indias instead.
What a shame! Shakira and her fellow stars would have been a fantastic addition to the addictive telenovela Yo Soy Betty, La Fea!