Sofia Vergara and Netflix Hit with Lawsuit from Griselda Blanco’s Family Over Upcoming Drug Lord Miniseries.
Sofia Vergara and Netflix are facing a lawsuit from the family of Griselda Blanco, the Colombian drug lord depicted by Vergara in an upcoming miniseries on the streaming platform. Michael Corleone Blanco, Blanco’s son, is among the individuals who initiated the legal action in a Miami-Dade County Court recently.
As revealed in court records obtained by Entertainment Tonight, the family claims they never granted permission for the use of their likenesses and are seeking to prevent the series from being broadcast.
Blanco, who is identified as Michael Sepulvedablanco in the legal complaint, asserts that since 2009, he has granted interviews to individuals interested in developing projects centered around his mother’s life. Griselda Blanco, famously known as the “Cocaine Godmother,” operated a successful drug operation in Miami until her death in Colombia in 2012.
According to Blanco’s claims, Netflix expressed an interest in his mother’s narrative, but they did not consult his interviews when creating “Griselda,” the upcoming miniseries scheduled for release on January 25th. Blanco contends that the series relied on anecdotes from other sources and did not adequately compensate him for the rights to his mother’s story.
Although the family doesn’t have an issue with Griselda’s portrayal, they have expressed concern that their own likenesses were incorporated into the production, and they are seeking to prevent its streaming.
Blanco was also depicted by Catherine Zeta-Jones in a 2018 film that premiered on Lifetime in the United States.
Sofia Vergara, who served as an executive producer for the Netflix series, is one of seven defendants named in the legal action, which includes Netflix and talent management firm Latin World Entertainment Holdings, LLC. CBS News has contacted Netflix and LWE for their comments and is currently awaiting their response.
Blanco and his wife, Marie, are named as the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Back in September, Marie and their attorney, Elysa Galloway, issued a joint statement on Instagram, which read as follows: “The Blanco family has absolutely no affiliation or involvement with the promotional project ‘Griselda’ scheduled to air on Netflix. Michael Corleone Blanco and other Blanco family members were neither consulted nor engaged in any capacity with the ‘Griselda’ project. All legal rights are reserved.”
CBS News has contacted both Elysa Galloway and the attorney representing Blanco in the lawsuit for their comments and is currently awaiting their response.
In December, Galloway made an announcement that Blanco had successfully trademarked the title of his book, “My Mother, the Godmother, and the Authentic Tale of Michael Corleone Blanco.” Blanco shared on Saturday that the book is now accessible to the public.
During a recent interview with CBS News’ Jonathan Vigliotti, Vergara shared what captivated her about Blanco’s story. “As a woman, I found it incredibly intriguing. I wondered how she managed to become even more ruthless and formidable than many men,” she expressed.
Blanco initially entered the illicit drug trade out of desperation to provide for her children and is believed to have ordered the deaths of numerous individuals during her tenure as a drug kingpin.
Similarly, Vergara, who hails from Colombia like Blanco, has a personal connection to the devastating impact of the country’s prolonged drug war. Her brother was one of the approximately 250,000 casualties of Colombia’s protracted drug conflict. She remarked, “My brother was involved in that trade. I understand the destructive influence that such a business can have on a family, an individual, and a nation.
