How Grief Taught Daniela Legarda to Really Live

When Colombian singer–songwriter Legarda broke through Latin pop playlists with bangers like “Otra Vez,” everything seemed to be falling into place: a Sony deal, MasterChef Celebrity fame, and a growing YouTube fan base hungry for more. But all of that promise ended on February 7, 2019, when a stray bullet from a botched robbery ripped through the Uber he was riding in Medellín. The 29-year-old died within minutes, and his family’s world collapsed.

Fast-forward to 2025, on The Real Stuff with Lucie Fink, host Lucie Fink sits down with Legarda’s younger sister, influencer Daniela Legarda. The two dive into grief, growth, and the surprisingly practical playbook that got her through the aftermath of losing her brother. 

Legarda: The dream-chasing big brother

Raised between Atlanta and Colombia, Fabio Andrés Legarda Lizcano—known mononymically as “Legarda”—fused bilingual swagger with reggaetón heat. By his late 20s, he’d opened for Pitbull, earned a Sony deal, and convinced his kid sister she belonged in the spotlight, too.

“Like, you’re a star,” he told her, according to Daniela. “You need to move to Colombia. Your life is gonna change here.”

That pep talk set Daniela’s career in motion right before tragedy struck.

The day everything shattered

On the phone the morning of his death, Legarda was buzzing: a new condo for Daniela, his latest single “Nutella,” and plans to celebrate that evening. Ten minutes later, a random bullet stole it all. Daniela’s first lesson arrived instantly: man plans, and God laughs.

“We have to truly live every single day like it’s our last,” she said.

From main character to director

In grief counseling, a therapist offered a line that now guides Daniela: “Someone once told me that when you lose someone close, they go from being a main character in your family to now being the director.”

She tells Lucie that she now sees her brother pulling creative strings behind the scenes—opening doors, landing collaborations, and doubling every goal she sets.

Daniela Legarda’s transformational healing

More than seeing her big brother as the new “director” of her life, Daniela engaged in radical, transformational healing—and she said the process helped her heal from the tragedy.

1. Throw resources at the wound.
Within days, the Legardas flew in two trauma specialists who moved into the house. “We were doing, like, three sessions a day… trauma healing,” Daniela recalls. “It brought all of my family closer.”

The lesson: If funds allow, immerse yourself in therapy early. Can’t afford that? Seek community-based grief groups, virtual support circles, or sliding-scale counselors.

2. Consider your inner dialogue.
Daniela refuses to trash-talk herself—even in jest. “Never call yourself broke… don’t ever speak negatively about yourself,” she said. 

In your own life, you can replace the negative self-talk one phrase at a time: “I’m ruined” with “I’m rebuilding.” It’s called neuroplasticity, and it sounds crazy—until it works.

3. Keep the departed on payroll (not literally, though).
Daniela consults her brother like a creative director: a candle lit on release days, a private prayer before brand meetings. The ritual keeps her motivated and anchored.

4. Convert pain into momentum.
That same month of unimaginable grief, Daniela hit the one-million-followers mark and landed her first five-figure brand deal. Her rationale? “You better follow your dreams… and you gotta be the best at it,” she says.

Sometimes the best way to heal is to channel that raw energy into something meaningful—whether it’s launching a side hustle, training for a race, or finally writing those chapters.

5. Build a “crisis cabinet” now, not later.
Daniela’s mother happened to be in Medellín apartment-hunting when the shooting occurred. That accidental proximity spared Daniela from navigating ICU hallways alone. Identify your 3 a.m. people today—then let them know they’re on call.

Legarda’s life ended in seconds, but Daniela’s renaissance started that same day. Her story shows that healing is less about “moving on” and more about what she calls “moving with”—carrying the person forward in every brave new step.