Mexican producer Pedro Torres, known for his work on the reality show Big Brother and music videos for artists like Luis Miguel, died at 72 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). His ex-wife, actress Lucía Méndez, remembered him with emotional words on social media. Torres leaves a legacy in television and a family, including a son with Méndez.
Pedro Torres Castilla, from Saltillo, Coahuila, studied Communication Sciences at Universidad Anáhuac and trained at the London International Film School. His career shone in producing the reality show Big Brother, which became a hit, and as general director of Endemol México. He also directed music videos for artists like Emmanuel, Amanda Miguel, Julio Iglesias, Mijares, and the iconic 'Cuando calienta el sol' by Luis Miguel, filmed as a reality special in Aculco.
In his personal life, Torres was married for six years to actress Lucía Méndez, with whom he had a son, Pedro Antonio Torres Méndez. They met during a Coca-Cola commercial shoot in Hollywood, where he asked her on a date she skipped. Months later, they reconnected on the production of her song 'Yo no sé quererte más' video, even though Méndez was dating Luis Miguel. She described him as 'fat and ugly' but attractive for his eyes and teeth. After she sent him a rose, they started a relationship that led to pregnancy on the first night. The marriage ended due to infidelity rumors, announced at a party on September 15.
Torres was diagnosed with ALS, a degenerative disease without a cure that affects motor neurons, causing muscle weakness, walking difficulties, speech, and swallowing issues. His health declined since December 2023, when Méndez said: 'Pedro está estable dentro de lo que cabe, estamos contentos. Es un hombre muy positivo, nos ha dado grandes lecciones'. In another interview, she added: 'Está estable; no precisamente como piensa la gente, pero sí es muy doloroso para mí, he llorado mucho (…) ver a mi hijo así, de saber que la vida se te va'. After his death, the family issued a statement: 'Con profundo pesar, la familia Torres Castilla comparte la noticia del fallecimiento de nuestro querido Pedro Torres Castilla, quien partió el día de hoy en paz, tranquilo y lleno de fe'. Méndez posted: 'Hoy se despide un genio, un visionario y el hombre que me dio el regalo más grande de mi vida: mi hijo. Pedro Antonio, gracias por tantos años de cariño y por esa unión familiar que siempre mantuvimos a pesar del tiempo'. Torres also leaves two daughters, Apolonia and Emilia.
