What happened to Maleni Morales? Cuban actor Otto Sirgo dies five years after wife’s death

Otto Sirgo, the Cuban-born actor who audiences came to know through telenovelas like Rosa Salvaje and Lazos de Amor, has made multiple headlines recently following his passing. Sirgo, who was seventy-nine years old, died on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, with the National Association of Performers and the National Association of Actors both confirming the sad news.

Otto Sirgo's death has also brought renewed attention to the loss of his wife, actress Maleni Morales. The two had actually first crossed paths on the set of Rosa Salvaje back in 1987, and went on to share years of marriage together. As per a report shared by the Los Angeles Times, Morales had passed away back in November 2020, due to complications tied to cancer she had been suffering from.

Otto Sirgo himself had been in the business a long time, having debuted way back in 1969 with Honor y Orgullo and clocking up around fifty telenovelas before his death, with his final project being El Precio de la Fama in 2026. He also picked up the TVyNovelas Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1996 for his role in Lazos de Amor.

Otto Sirgo opens up about the emptiness Maleni Morales left behind:

Sirgo found it hard to move on. The actor spoke openly across several interviews about how quiet and empty life had become without Maleni, and even described his last visit to the hospital the night before she died.

"Yesterday, when I left the hospital, I said goodbye to her, I gave her a kiss and a hug. That was the farewell," he shared.

He did take some comfort in how peaceful her final moments were.

"I have the peace of mind that she was asleep, she ended well, calmly," Sirgo added.

The grief reshaped his entire daily routine. By May 2025, he had largely stopped going out, stopped socializing, and spent most of his time at home. He put a name to what he was experiencing, calling it "the empty chair syndrome," the instinct to turn and speak to someone who is no longer sitting beside you.

"Time only helps you get used to missing them, to making it natural. I think about Maleni every day, I remember her every day," he said.

Fellow actor María Antonieta de las Nieves, herself widowed, suggested the two spend time together. Sirgo turned the idea down gently.

"Right now, I'm still not ready for a relationship, and in a year I might be even less ready. I'm not looking for anything."

Valerie Sirgo speaks out on Otto Sirgo's final wish and the father he was:

Otto Sirgo's three children had always chosen to live privately, but that changed in the days following his death. It was his daughter Valerie who stepped forward to speak for the family, confirming his cause of death and sharing the kind of father he had been till the very end.

"He always enjoyed life very much. He was a great father, a great husband, a great companion, and a great actor, producer, director. Above all, a great father," she shared.

Valerie also revealed that Sirgo had left behind a very specific final wish. He had asked for his ashes to be scattered near the Popocatépetl volcano, a view he had cherished deeply during his lifetime.

Trending

"He said he wanted us to rent a helicopter and take him to the Popo. It's complicated, but we'll take him as far as we can, we'll try something similar," she recalled.

She described her father as a deeply protective man, devoted equally to his children and grandchildren. In his final conversations, Sirgo had been talking about soccer, his grandchildren, and the teams he loved, a situation which painted a picture of a man who remained warm and present right until the end. Valerie also shared that the family holds a large collection of photographs Otto took across the years and hopes to one day organize an exhibition celebrating that side of him.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback