LOS ANGELES >> A producer has settled the remaining claims in a lawsuit he filed against multiple parties, including the father and sister of Selena, over a Netflix series depicting the early years of the late Tejano singer’s life, attorneys in the case told a judge Monday.

In the wake of the announcement of the accord, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maurice A. Leiter dismissed plaintiff Moctesuma Esparza’s case “without prejudice,” meaning it can be refiled if necessary. No terms were divulged. Esparza produced the 1997 film “Selena” that starred Jennifer Lopez as the singer and Edward James Olmos as Abraham Quintanilla.

Selena’s real name was Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Among the parties Esparza sued were Selena’s 84-year-old father, Abraham Quintanilla, and her 55-year-old sister, Suzette Michelle Quintanilla, who is the family’s oldest daughter and was the drummer for her late sister’s band, Selena y Los Dinos.

After an August 2021 hearing, Leiter ruled Esparza could move forward with various claims against the Quintanillas, including negligent misrepresentation and fraudulent concealment allegations involving “Selena: The Series.”

The judge wrote that Esparza established that both Quintanillas “suppressed the existence of the Netflix series. This is sufficient to establish a prima facie case of fraudulent concealment.”

The Quintanilla attorneys had sought dismissal of all claims against their clients under the state’s anti-SLAPP -- Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation -- law, which is intended to prevent people from using courts, and potential threats of a lawsuit, to intimidate those who are exercising their First Amendment rights.

Netflix Inc. and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. were among the other defendants sued by Esparza. The producer dropped both from the case last Aug. 31.

According to the complaint, the plaintiff and the Quintanillas entered into an agreement in 1995 to transfer the life rights of Selena to a joint venture. Two years later, the Quintanillas and Warner Bros. signed contracts to make the “Selena” movie, according to the suit.

Esparza alleged the parties agreed the joint venture would continue until the expiration of the copyright of the film or by mutual agreement of the parties. Over several years, Esparza began working on a television series about Selena’s youth and he alleges that in 2018, the Quintanillas wrongfully licensed the life rights of Selena to Netflix to create a series about her youth without his involvement.

Selena’s father submitted a sworn declaration in support of the motion to dismiss all claims against him.

“Esparza has targeted the Netflix Selena series solely for strategic reasons to interfere with the exercise of my rights to free speech,” Abraham Quintanilla said. “Indeed, Esparza filed this lawsuit before the Selena Netflix series even premiered.”

Esparza filed the suit in November 2020 and series debut was less than a month later.

Abraham Quintanilla also said he was “very distraught” after Selena’s death and “never sought out Esparza or his help, but he relentlessly pursued me, despite the fact I was in a deep state of mourning.”