Sebastián Rulli, Alejandra Barros and Ela Velden on Bringing Back the Most Taboo Romance in Telenovelas in 'Mi Rival'

Sebastián Rulli, Barros, Valden in Mi Rival — TelevisaUnivision/Courtesy

MIAMI — Some stories never stop provoking audiences, and in the world of Latin American telenovelas, few plots have generated as much debate as the love triangle in which a mother and her daughter become romantically entangled with the same man.

That taboo storyline, which shocked viewers in earlier adaptations and became widely known through the 2014 Televisa hit La Malquerida starring Victoria Ruffo, is returning to television in a new form this week with Univision's Mi Rival. The new telenovela stars Sebastián Rulli, Alejandra Barros, and Ela Velden and premiered this week on TelevisaUnivision, revisiting a story that has traveled across radio, theater, and television for decades.

In an interview with The Latin Times and ENSTARZ, the Latino actors explain how this time is different.

This version draws from the radionovela Cuando la rival es una hija, written by Cuban storyteller Inés Rodena, which inspired the 1973 Mexican television drama Mi Rival. The same thematic roots can also be traced to Jacinto Benavente's Spanish play La malquerida, first staged in 1913 and later adapted many times for television.

Each generation has retold the story in a slightly different way. The new series asks whether the emotional tension behind it still resonates in the twenty-first century.

"Es muy polémico," Alejandra Barros said when discussing the storyline. "It's very controversial," she explained. "But it also talks a lot about tolerance."

A rivalry that begins with desire

At the center of Mi Rival is a relationship triangle built on attraction, jealousy, and family loyalty.

Barros plays Paloma García, a strong but emotionally conflicted woman who lives on a ranch in San Luis Potosí. Her life begins to change when Renato Tirado arrives, a charismatic man portrayed by Sebastián Rulli.

Renato quickly becomes part of the family's world, but his presence also awakens feelings that complicate everything. Paloma is drawn to him, and so is her daughter.

Ela Velden plays Bárbara, a younger woman navigating love, independence, and identity. When she develops feelings for Renato, the emotional conflict between mother and daughter becomes impossible to ignore.

The rivalry that follows defines the series.

Barros said the story reflects real emotional contradictions. "A woman doesn't stop being a woman just because she's a mother," se explains.

For the actress, the narrative invites audiences to consider difficult questions about love and loyalty. "We're telling a human story. Dont't judge," she asked the audience.

Sebastián Rulli returns to complex romance

Rulli's casting as Renato places one of the most recognizable leading men in Latin American television at the center of the drama.

Born in Argentina and based in Mexico, Rulli has starred in several major telenovelas including Teresa, Lo Que La Vida Me Robó, El Dragón and Los ricos también lloran.In Mi Rival, his character becomes the emotional catalyst for the rivalry between mother and daughter.

When asked about Renato's situation, Rulli responded with humor. "Put yourselves in my place," he jokes."When two beautiful women are in love with you, how do you say no?"

Still, he insists Renato is not simply manipulating the two women. "At the beginning he doesn't even realize what is happening," the actor explained. "He becomes part of something that grows beyond his control."

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A veteran actress and a rising star

Alejandra Barros brings decades of experience to the role of Paloma. The Mexican actress has built a long career in television and theater with projects such as La verdad oculta, Quererlo todo and Vencer la culpa. Her character is both strong and conflicted, a woman torn between maternal responsibility and her own emotional needs.

Ela Velden, meanwhile, represents a younger generation of performers entering the telenovela landscape.

The actress gained recognition through roles in Caer en tentación, Rubí and the streaming series El juego de las llaves, now her character Bárbara embodies youthful passion and rebellion, qualities that intensify the rivalry with her mother, and the awakening regarding her self value. "In this version Renato is the one that brings that out of her," she added.

Filming in the countryside of San Luis Potosí

While the drama unfolds within the family, the visual setting of Mi Rival plays an important role in the story.The production filmed much of the series in San Luis Potosí, using historic haciendas and rural landscapes as the backdrop for the narrative.

According to Ela Velden, the team worked across several estates in the region. "We filmed in several haciendas," she revealed. The main locations included the historic properties El Jaralito and La Ventilla, located about one to two hours outside the city of San Luis Potosí. The distance meant long days of travel.

"Sometimes we had three or four hours on the road from the hotel to location," she explained.

Living together during filming

The cast spent more than four months living in the same hotel during production.The experience created a strong bond among the actors. They shared meals, trained together at the gym and spent time discussing their characters.

"Once we were at the hotel, we were family," said Barros. The long shoot also produced moments of humor. She brought her dog with her. Rulli had his pillow, while Velden received regular visits from her boyfriend, who would bring her pets.

Four grueling months.

A story that keeps evolving

The love triangle at the center of Mi Rival has been retold many times across decades of television. But each version reflects the cultural moment in which it appears. In earlier adaptations the story often emphasized scandal. Today, the actors say it is more about emotional complexity.

Rulli says the story explains how a man who has never known love, not even during his childhood, chooses honesty, sometimes knowing that goes against his best interests or what he wants.

For Barros, the goal is not to shock viewers but to start a conversation. "What would you do?" she asked.

In the world of telenovelas, that question has always been the real drama.