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Erin Marie Benavides, a former Texas prosecutor and child-welfare advocate who found herself at the center of a headline-making celebrity scandal involving Tony Parker and Eva Longoria, has died at 54.
Benavides died by suicide at her home in Port Aransas, Texas, on October 14, authorities confirmed.
News of her death emerged on November 2, bringing renewed attention to a controversy that made headlines more than 15 years ago.
According to the New York Post, police were alerted after a friend of Benavides’ husband received a concerning text message.
Officers subsequently discovered Benavides at her residence. Authorities have not indicated that anyone else was involved in her death.
The circumstances surrounding Benavides’ death are particularly heartbreaking given her professional background. She spent much of her career working in the criminal justice system and advocating for vulnerable children.
She served as an assistant district attorney in Comal and Bexar counties before joining the 38th Judicial District’s anti-gang and border prosecution unit in January 2023. She remained there until August 2026.
Benavides also served as president and CEO of the Youth Center of Texas from 2020 to 2022. The organization provided crisis intervention and case management services for children who had been victims of sex trafficking.
She also volunteered with the Bexar County Child Welfare Board, helping organize adoption ceremonies and fundraisers for children in foster care.
San Antonio Express-News
However, Benavides was perhaps best known outside legal circles for her connection to one of Hollywood’s most publicized relationship scandals.
In 2010, her then-husband, former San Antonio Spurs player Brent Barry, accused her of having an emotional affair with his teammate, Parker. At the time, Parker was married to Longoria, best known for her role on Desperate Housewives.
The allegations became part of the public conversation surrounding the couple’s increasingly troubled marriage. Longoria reportedly discovered hundreds of text messages from another woman on Parker’s phone, and she subsequently filed for divorce in November 2010. Their divorce was finalized in 2011.
Benavides denied having an affair with Parker. The controversy also contributed to the end of her marriage to Barry, who filed for divorce in October 2010.
In the wake of Benavides’ death, former colleagues have remembered her for more than her connection to that celebrity controversy.
District Attorney Christina Mitchell described Benavides as hardworking and generous.
Mitchell also recalled how Benavides frequently encouraged colleagues and even defendants who appeared to be struggling.
“Her boisterous laugh throughout the office will be greatly missed,” Mitchell wrote in a tribute.
For someone whose professional life revolved around helping others, Benavides’ death is a devastating loss to the people who knew and worked alongside her.
If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting 988.
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