The short version
- El Nuevo Día reports that Eustace could not reach Puerto Rico because of flight cancellations linked to the FAA's temporary suspension of air traffic in the United States
- Telemundo Puerto Rico states the semifinal airs live at 8:00 p.m. Sunday with contestants David, Valeria, JAY.L, Mike, Stephanie and Tony
- El Vocero indicates the final will be held on Nov. 22 and the winner will receive a $50,000 prize plus a recording contract
- Objetivo Fama's official account announced Marcos Llunas and Maripily Rivera as the replacement guest judges for the semifinal
Judge unable to travel
Mexican singer Cristina Eustace will not appear as a judge at the 11th gala of the reality show Objetivo Fama, scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 15 at Distrito T-Mobile in San Juan. El Nuevo Día reported that Eustace was unable to reach Puerto Rico because of flight cancellations stemming from the Federal Aviation Administration's temporary suspension of air traffic in the United States. The disruptions began Friday, Nov. 13 and continued to affect thousands of passengers on Sunday.
Eustace confirmed her absence on social media. Both El Nuevo Día and Telemundo Puerto Rico quoted her statement: "No saben lo triste que me pone escribir esto." She added that she carries the contestants in her heart and will see them in the grand final. El Vocero reported that she also thanked producer Soraya Sánchez, the production team, fellow judges and participants.
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What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
No saben lo triste que me pone escribir esto. Me hubiera encantado acompañarlos en persona, pero les mando todo mi cariño y los llevo en el corazón. Nos vemos en la gran final
The source's own post, quoted as published. Not verified by PuertoRico.com. View post
¡Atención! Les presentamos a nuestros jueces invitados para la gala de esta noche
The source's own post, quoted as published. Not verified by PuertoRico.com. View post
Me duele no poder acompañarlos en persona, pero los llevo en el corazón.
Our translation: It hurts me not to be able to accompany them in person, but I carry them in my heart.
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Vocero. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Replacement judges announced
In response to Eustace's absence, the production of Objetivo Fama named Spanish singer Marcos Llunas and Puerto Rican model and businesswoman Maripily Rivera as guest judges for the semifinal, El Nuevo Día reported. The announcement for Llunas was made earlier, while Rivera's participation was confirmed on Sunday.
The six semifinalists competing Sunday night are Tony, Jay L, Valeria, Stephanie, Mike and David. Two of them will be eliminated and the remaining four will advance to the final scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 22, according to El Vocero. The eventual winner will receive a prize package valued at $50,000 that includes a recording contract and cash.
Where the sources differ
All three outlets agree that Cristina Eustace could not attend the Nov. 15 semifinal because of flight cancellations caused by the FAA's air-traffic suspension and that she posted a message expressing sadness and promising to appear in the final. El Nuevo Día and El Vocero mention the replacement judges Marcos Llunas and Maripily Rivera; Telemundo Puerto Rico does not. El Vocero provides the most detail on the FAA incident, the number of delayed and canceled flights nationwide, the names of the regular judges, the date of the final, and the $50,000 prize. El Nuevo Día reports more than 4,000 passengers facing delays and cancellations in Puerto Rico on Sunday. The outlets differ slightly in the exact wording they quote from Eustace's social-media post.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state whether the production attempted to arrange an alternative travel route for Eustace, whether she will appear remotely during the live broadcast, or how the guest judges will be integrated into the scoring. They also do not specify how many flights to Puerto Rico were canceled on Sunday or name the airlines involved. No information is given about possible changes to the broadcast schedule or audience attendance at Distrito T-Mobile.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Cristina Eustace no llegará a la gala de Objetivo Fama y anuncian a dos jueces invitados
- Reporting Cristina Eustace no estará en la semifinal de Objetivo Fama
- Reporting "No llego a tiempo": Cristina Eustace confirma que no podrá estar en la semifinal de Objetivo Fama
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día, Telemundo Puerto Rico and El Vocero all covered Cristina Eustace's absence from the Objetivo Fama semifinal and her social-media statement. Only El Vocero reported the $50,000 prize value and the exact final date of Nov. 22. The announcement of the two guest judges appears in El Nuevo Día and is referenced on the program's official social-media account.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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