A Fatal Rejection - The Story Of Merlin Santana

Abroad, what you're seeing now are scenes taken from the comedies The Steve Harvey Show and The Cosby Show, both featuring a rising star from New York City whose talent would bring him recognition and take him as far as he wanted to go. His name was Merlin. Santana from the Upper West Side of New York City, his name was quickly becoming known and the many talents of the Future Stars were beginning to truly shine, but one day, unsuspecting, Merlin's life would be cut short when he became the center of a revenge plot that he had nothing to do with Every time you hear stories about people who got out of the hood and became successful as something bigger than themselves, for most of us it's a great feeling, it gives us the feeling that if they can do it, I can do it too.

I also say it for me. I think of names like the Wayans brothers, who grew up in the Chelsea projects, were hugely successful and brought the whole family with them. Jordan Peel is one of the most successful and respected directors in the game. at this time and was raised on the Upper West Side by a single mother and managed a long list of musical acts, from Jay-Z to Cardi B, from Brooklyn to the Bronx, they all made it out of the hood and achieved massive success, but There is also a very long list of those who did everything possible to get ahead and not get trapped somehow the harsh code of the streets still subdues them anyway today for bad intentions the

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of Merlín Santana's friends Merlín Santana was born on March 14, 1976 in New York City Merlin was born to his mother, a woman named Leia Santana, a Dominican native, from the moment Merlin was about to be born, life would immediately throw Leia a curve ball, who was told by doctors that if Merlin was born it would be a true miracle Leia had complications in childbirth, which gave Merlin a 50-50 chance of surviving, which of course was the scariest thing a parent could ever do. can hear, but Merlin pulled through and beat those odds.

Leia wanted to find a name that truly represented her son and his battle to survive, she would call him Merlin as in Merlin, King Arthur's Wizard of Wizards, and would often introduce herself to people, as Leia felt this name fit. perfectly with his son because it was something like magic. Merlin was his miraculous son Merlin was described as a very funny and charismatic boy for as long as anyone can remember, he was always known for making jokes and making people laugh. Merlin's personality was as bright as he could be and to the people who were on the hunt.

It was very easy for Talon to see that Merlin had something special about him when he was only three years old. Marlon and his mother were out one day when they chanced upon a talent scout and struck up a conversation. He noticed Merlin's charisma. He felt that, to some extent, Merlin belonged on big-screen television, so he would suggest that Merlin's mother try to introduce him to the fast-paced world of show business. The talent scout would suggest that Leia take Merlin to audition for a fast food campaign that was happening soon Merlin got the job and here began his love and passion for the big screen.

Having started out young, the world of acting was an open playing field for Merlin and he had a huge advantage over others who were on the same path as him. He was bilingual, speaking English and Spanish, which gave him more opportunities when it came to casting once Merlin landed in fast food and the commercial stuff never slowed down and he was on his way to stardom in the neighborhood Merlin grew up in. around the Upper West Side. It was well known for being an area where almost anything can happen, from gang violence to drug dealing and drug abuse, all very common, especially in the 80s and 90s.

Merlin attended Ascension School on 108th Street in the upper Manhattan, where he would make a lot of friends and everyone knew him, but being in a neighborhood with a reputation acting like Merlin was a way to keep him out of trouble and not get him into situations where the environment around him could send him down the wrong path for good. It's not an easy task for someone who grew up. he lives in the same neighborhood as Merlin and still has family and friends there. I can tell you from personal experience that this area of ​​the Upper West Side wasn't always so quiet in the '90s.

Drug wars were quick between rival crews that the neighborhood often had. curfews due to violence and the root of it all was the power of money and respect. He had a lot of work ahead of him, but Merlin's mother knew her son had a gift and was determined to see Merlin succeed and not become a statistic in 1990. His life would change forever when he was cast in a play called Hey Little Walter. . He now didn't know it at this time, but this concert would change things forever. Sitting in the crowd on one of the nights Merlin performed was Bill Cosby.

He was so impressed by Merlin's performance and portrayal of this character that Cosby would end up having a new character written for the immensely popular Cosby Show. Merlin would play Stanley's lovable and funny boyfriend Rudy Huxtable, once Merlin landed this job his career took off with no signs of slowing down once The Cosby Show was coming to an end, Merlin was immediately cast in another television comedy called Getting by. He was cast alongside Dion Richmond, another child star and friend of Merlin and also a New York native who grew up in the Harlem Section. from New York, the two had great chemistry on screen and had known each other for some time since their time on The Cosby Show would air between March 1993 and June 1994 when it was canceled some time later Merlin would move out of the city. from New York to Los Angeles at only 19 years old.

He was on the right track, he was very focused and decided to spend his time in North Hollywood, quietly in the San Fernando Valley, he was excited to be. Chasing dreams and living alone, he would stay in constant contact with family and friends and work would continue to flow from Merlin and in 1996 he would land another pivotal role for his career when he was cast as Romeo Santana and the immensely popular Steve. Harvey Show Now While others in the spotlight and in positions like Merlin's battled certain demons that came with stardom, Merlin always kept the threats clear that he stayed away from drugs, stayed focused and by the time his career flourished , Merlin would begin to take the steps to also begin a musical career, he was also a talented rapper and had the image and popularity that would eventually come with that role, it was even said that Merlin might have had a good amount of music that never saw the release. light, he simply took the music.

As serious as he acted during his time on the Steve Harvey Show, Merlin would play Romeo, a student at Booker T Washington High School on Chicago's West Side. He was a fluent Playboy who had a great reputation among the ladies, although he appeared in a sitcom on the show. Merlin would showcase a wide variety of talents showing how good an actor he was when it came to serious and comedic roles. The character Romeo would begin to mix with the real-life Merlin, who was becoming an even bigger womanizer from time to time. On the screen his hard work was beginning to be recognized in the streets and all those years on the screen were paying off and the sky was the limit for him he was already becoming famous starring in roles in films alongside Eddie Murphy and Robert De Niro but still He never forgot where he came from, although he was already making money and living his dream, he could often be seen on his old block of 107th and Manhattan Avenue riding a motorcycle and being among the peers he grew up with, he had his feet on earth.

They emerged throughout his career. Merlin would also make appearances on shows such as Moesha Sister Sister hanging with Mr Cooper and Under One Roof, just to name a few. Don't play the rat unless you want to end up in a sewer proper. You know what I'm saying, yeah I know what you're saying right, I know it exactly, wait a minute, yeah I act like you know, when did you learn to talk like that? My mother was Dominican, the future was very bright for Merlin. He knew it and everyone around him knew it, but unfortunately when you're an up-and-coming star with a certain background you can never be too sure if the intentions of those around you are pure.

Merlin's praise was starting to pile up. receiving nominations from the NAACP image Awards as well as the ALMA Awards, an awards ceremony that honors Latinos in the industry, but on the night of Friday, November 8, 2002, a series of events would unfold that would result in the tragic death of the young star and no one saw it coming. That day, Merlin was spending the night recording music at a friend's house in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles, California, he was accompanied by one of his best friends, another talented actor named Brandon Quentin Adams, known for his work in the classics cult The People.

Under the Stairs and bigger movies like The Sandlot and also for playing the child version of Michael Jackson in the Mini version of Bad, he would also star in other popular shows like Fresh Prince, Moesha's Sister Sister and many others that Merlin had originally done. He plans to return to his home in New York City so he can visit friends and family. He wasn't even supposed to be in Los Angeles this week, but he was staying in Los Angeles longer than expected due to a last-minute audition. for a new television show he changed his plans on his trip to New York it never happened later that night around midnight Merlin would make a call to a woman named Mercedes Mercedes was someone Merlin and Brandon met some time before at a Chinese restaurant. restaurant in Los Angeles, the woman showed up and knew she was shipwrecked, she set it up on The Steve Harvey Show.

Merlin was flattered and happy to be recognized as anyone would be, he was living his dream and people were starting to realize, according to sources, the two then ended up having a perfectly consensual night together and everything seemed normal. He made that call to Mercedes and asked her if she wanted to hang out with him and some of his friends, which she was fine with, but when he got there, things seemed very subdued, Brandon noticed that Mercedes seemed in a bad mood and very nervous. for being in the house. She could be seen walking around the house and acting strangely.

He did this for a moment and then made a phone call before abruptly saying that she needed to. As she left the house, Brandon watched her leave and when he got to the front of the house he could see Mercedes getting into a large vehicle with two men inside, the same two men who had left her in the house to begin with. Even though Marilyn and Brandon didn't know that the vehicle would drive away for a few blocks and then stop, Brandon had a strong feeling that Mercedes was actually just inspecting the house and maybe it was best for him and Merlin.

They left because things just didn't feel right, the two would approach their vehicle to leave the area, but when they got into the car, the situation would quickly escalate from a suspected trap to a full-blown attack that Brandon would be in for. the driver's seat and Merlin in the passenger side when Brandon looked in the side mirror and saw a red laser. As he looked closer, he could see two men running toward his car, both armed with guns. Brandon was yelling at Merlin to get down before leaving as quickly as possible. as he could, but while he was doing it, the two men started the fire.

The chaotic scene did not last more than a few seconds, but those few seconds were enough to change everything forever. While one of the men fired at the vehicle, one of the bullets entered the trunk. from the car, the trajectory of the bullet would cut through the sea on the passenger side and hit Merlin in the back of the head, killing him instantly. Brandon will look and see Merlin slumped forward as he screamed his name hoping the injury wasn't that bad. as he seemed to be waiting for Merlin to say something, but Merlin was unresponsive as he was bleeding profusely from his head, indicating that this was much worse.

Branding would stop a passing patrol and tell them what had happened, but it was too late. Merlin was gone, the only question was why, when the police and EMS searched the vehicle in which Merlin was murdered, they found his cell phone and began investigating who he last spoke to. Brandon would tell the authorities about Merlin's call to Mercedes and how strange he had been. He had been acting like this that the cops came up with the idea: they had Brandon call Mercedes and ask her to meet him at a restaurant that she would agree to meet, which was very surprising, butWhen she did, officers were there waiting to take her away. questioning that it was here that authorities would learn the real reason behind Merlin's death, Mercedes, whose real name was Monique King, was reportedly said to have spoken to Merlin on one occasion after they hooked up, she wanted to have more relationship with Merlin, since he was constantly on the move and was not looking for anything very serious.

She became very upset about this and returned with two men, 21-year-old Damian Andre Gates, who some said was Mercedes' boyfriend, and 25-year-old Brandon Douglas Bynes. men that Merlin and her were together but it was against her will because Merlin forced himself on her and raped her. The two men sought revenge for Monique. It later turned out that she had also told Marilyn that she was of age, but in reality all this. The plan for the cruel lie that led to the death of the talented young man initially emerged from the mind of a 15-year-old girl when she was interrogated.

Monique argued that she had done nothing wrong and had nothing to say until an officer let her know that she could be a suspect or a witness to what happened, since no one else saw what happened after hours of questioning, she She herself admitted to lying to these men and killing Merlin, the two men took her word and went ahead with the murder of someone who did absolutely nothing to deserve it, an enormous talent taken too soon and all because of a girl who couldn't. enduring

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and two men who were stupid enough to believe her lies, wasting their own lives in the process.

Brandon Douglas Bynes was sentenced to 23 years for his role in the death of Merlin Santana Damian Gates, the man responsible for shooting Merlin, was sentenced to 70 years to life in prison Monique King, who Lida set up everything for, was a minor and was tried as an adult but being tried as an adult didn't really mean much since she would only be sentenced to the California Youth Authority, a place for young offenders who would be released at the young age of only 25, meaning she could get out. and live a somewhat normal life at least she had her life something Merlin lost and all because he crossed paths with her Merlin Santana was buried in Saint Raymond Cemetery in the Bronx Merlin leaves behind many family and friends who still speak with affection of him until this moment. day and that he is sorely missed in his short time with us, he was able to show us that if you want something bad enough, no matter where you come from, you can get it and if you still want it bad enough when you have it in your hands, you can take those dreams as far as you want and take control of your future.

He was the perfect example of what it means to come out of the hood and make those around you proud to see you stand up proud to see. you become part of something much bigger than yourself, proud to know that someone from somewhere like you and me could reach for the stars and leave a lasting impression, we may never get to witness just how massive a star is. Merlin Santana would undoubtedly have been right. now but for all of us who recognized his talents and saw how far he had already come we knew exactly how far he was going to go may he rest in peace Merlin Santana and my deepest condolences to his family and loved ones I had to jump there and grab him, but I knew that I did the best I could and uh, it was definitely a challenge, but sure, whatever it was, man, you know, I can't call it.

Is he becoming forgetful with old age? Mr. Hightower, he just asked us to borrow a pencil. for my foreign neighbor