Veneno Star Isabel Torres Has Died of Lung Cancer at Age 52

Isabel Torres, who came to prominence in the U.S. after her role on HBO Max's Veneno, has died. The news was first reported by her family on the performer's Instagram.

Torres was most known for portraying Cristina Ortiz in the Spanish television show Veneno. That series was picked up by HBO Max and received international attention, bringing the star a new flood of fans after having been a pioneer for LGBTQ+ communities in her native Gran Canaria.

"I think in it there was a lot of me, and in her there was a lot of all of us," Torres told The Advocate of portraying an older version of Ortiz. "I never thought we would have a lot of similarities, and at the end, after seeing the character, learning her story, and learning to love her through her wounds, I understood that we share a lot in common."

After the eight-episode limited series premiered internationally in 2020, the actress posted what she said was her last video as she had been battling lung cancer for two years prior -- she said that she had been diagnosed while filming. The cancer reportedly led to bone metastases.

"They give me two months to live," she said. "Let's see if I get over it, and if not, what are we going to do? Life is like that." The video was posted last November.

"Today, February 11, 2022, we say goodbye to Isabel," read a statement, translated from Spanish, posted on Torres's Instagram account. "Although her family and friends feel her loss deeply, we know that wherever she goes, she will have fun as only she knows how. Thank you for all the messages of affection and concern. She has left feeling very loved and supported."

In 1996, Torres became the first Canarian woman to have her gender changed on her legal ID. She often spoke about the LGBTQ+ community on both radio and television.

Following Veneno, she won a series of awards including an Ondas Television Award for Best Female Performer in Fiction.