Inside the mystery of Miriam Rivera's 'marriage': Loved ones say 'much older' man who claimed to be married to world's first transgender reality star after meeting her as a teenager was a 'freaky person'

When reality star Miriam Rivera passed away in 2019 aged 38, authorities claimed it was 'suicide' - but her husband Daniel Cuervo insisted she was murdered. 

Miriam had risen to fame thirteen years earlier on British reality show There's Something About Miriam. 

The Sky One programme was one of the most controversial reality shows of the early 2000s - as six male contestants sought to woo Miriam for a £10,000 prize, but were only told she was transgender at the end of the show. 

After the show, Miriam was hounded by the media and suffered with declining mental health. 

Her husband Daniel, who her friends say recently passed away, insisted people were after her and that she was murdered. 

Miriam Rivera's husband Daniel Cuervo always insisted she was murdered in the years following her death

However, in Channel 4's new documentary Miriam: Death Of A Reality star, her friends and family expressed their doubts about Mr Cuervo's character, calling him a 'freaky person'. 

Mr Cuervo, a real estate worker with apartments in New York, met Miriam in her home country of Mexico when she was 16 years old and had known her for more than 20 years. 

In a 2021 interview, he described himself as 'much older' and said they were initially just friends. At a later - he did not specify when - she became his girlfriend. 

But in the documentary, Miriam's brother Ariel Mendoza only described him as a long-term 'friend' of hers. 

He said: 'Daniel Cuervo he was a friend of Miriam's for a long long time. 

'But he also was this kind of freaky person. Colombian guy, much older than Miriam. He loves transgender women.' 

Miriam's friend, Daniella Real, also suggested that the pair were just friends rather than a married couple. 

'He was in love with Miriam. She loved him of course but not the way Daniel wanted it.' 

Following Miriam's death, Daniel posted a heartbroken tribute to her on Facebook, writing: 'My adorable wife, rest in peace darling until God lets us be together again.'

Although her family and friends did not refer to their marriage in the documentary, Daniel had posted pictures of their wedding on February 9, 2019 - just four days after her death. It is unclear when the wedding took place. 

Mr Cuervo was a real estate worker with properties in New York. In the Channel 4 documentary, it was said he recently passed away

Mr Cuervo posted pictures of his 'wedding day' with Miriam to Facebook after she passed away

Mr Cuervo had known Miriam for more than 20 years, having met her when she was just 16

Meanwhile, Miriam had changed her name on the platform to include his surname, and they returned to Mexico together after stints in New York and Vegas, according to Cosmopolitan. 

Miriam's friend Nikki Exotica said she 'couldn't stand him' but could 'understand' his side of the story. 

Daniel said that Miriam had been involved with a mob in New York and Las Vegas. 

In the documentary, he revealed that Miriam had contacted him on the day that she died to tell him she was coughing up blood, and he told her to go to hospital. But hours later he was told she had died, and it was claimed it was suicide. 

Mr Cuervo has in the past told Daily Mail Australia that he believed his wife's death may have been 'passed off' as a suicide after she refused to accept work as a prostitute.

When Mr Cuervo learned of Miriam's death, he enquired about the possibility of flying the body to New York.

He was informed the body had already been cremated, leaving no opportunity to perform an autopsy.

Mr Cuervo claimed an unknown male called him when he was trying to arrange Miriam's funeral and said: 'Don't come back to Mexico or we'll kill you too.'

At the time of her death, Mr Cuervo paid tribute to his 'adorable wife' on Facebook

Miriam's brother Ariel referred to Daniel as her long-term 'friend' and said he was a 'freaky person'

In the documentary, he said: 'I want to make sure everybody knows there is no way in hell she committed suicide.' 

But Miriam's brother, Ariel, and her close friend Daniella Real both accept the official decision made about her death - that she died by suicide. 

Real believed the reality show gave Miriam fame, which was negative and permanently harmed her. Meanwhile Ariel believes she was struggling with depression. 

Miriam suffered with declining mental health after the show - and a terrible assault in 2007 damaged her confidence even further. 

Her friends have previously spoken out about an assault in 2007 that saw Miriam be pushed out of the fourth-story window of her New York apartment. She later disappeared for six months, claiming she had been kidnapped at gunpoint. 

Miriam spent most of her time after the attack in Europe, never again engaging in showbiz or music - which was her dream before - and instead getting caught up in the party scene.

She was, during this time, also understood to have taken up sex work to pay off hospital bills, which racked up.

There's Something About Miriam ended up in huge controversy for Sky One, which broadcast the show in the UK - despite being a success at the time. 

Miriam appeared on Sky's controversial dating show There's Something About Miriam, where she didn't reveal she was transgender until the end. She was just 21 at the time

Sky later removed There's Something About Miriam from its platforms and apologised

New Channel 4 documentary Miriam: Death Of A Reality Star is exploring her life and rise to fame in more detail

The Channel 4 documentary marks 20 years since the original reality show, and five years since Miriam's death. 

Sky later apologised and removed There's Something About Miriam from its platforms. 

The show was originally meant to air in November 2003 but legal proceedings stopped it airing until February 2004.  

The six male contestants alleged conspiracy to commit sexual assault, defamation, breach of contract, and personal injury in the form of psychological and emotional damage.

Miriam: Death Of A Reality Star is available to watch now on Channel 4.