Last week, Sofia Vergara, best known for her role in the hit TV show “Modern Family,” appeared on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon to promote her upcoming Netflix miniseries, “Griselda.” The show is a six-part series centered around the life of Griselda Blanco, a notorious Colombian drug lord known as the “Cocaine Godmother.” Blanco played a significant role in establishing the cocaine trade between Colombia, Miami, and New York in the 1980s.
As a native of Colombia, Vergara took on the challenging task of portraying this infamous character on screen. During her interview with Jimmy Fallon, she revealed that the series director, André Baiz, helped her prepare for the role by teaching her how to smoke and even how to act out scenes involving cocaine. However, she quickly clarified that no actual cocaine was consumed on or off the film set, much to the amusement of the audience.
Despite the excitement surrounding the miniseries, a lawsuit has arisen involving Griselda Blanco’s adult children. Blanco’s son, Michael Corleone Blanco, filed a lawsuit against both Sofia Vergara and Netflix, accusing them of using the family’s image and likeness without permission. According to TMZ, Michael Blanco claims that the show’s creators used his “private artistic literary work” without his consent or credit. He had been shopping around his and his mother’s life stories since 2009, hoping to develop them into a movie.
Michael Blanco alleges that he shared stories about his mother in public interviews over the years and was assured that the Netflix series would not incorporate any of his anecdotes. However, he later discovered that the show heavily relied on these stories. In response, the Blanco children are seeking a court injunction to halt the release of the series, which is scheduled for January 25.
A statement from the Blanco family, provided by their lawyer to Business Insider, emphasizes that Michael Blanco was willing to share his mother’s life details with Latin World Entertainment/Netflix, but only if he was fairly compensated. The statement clarifies that Michael Blanco is grateful for any opportunity to shed light on his mother and the Blanco family, as long as proper compensation is involved.
This lawsuit adds an unexpected twist to the anticipation surrounding “Griselda.” It remains to be seen how the court will rule and whether the series will proceed as planned. For now, fans will have to wait and see if the legal issues are resolved before they can dive into the controversial and captivating world of Griselda Blanco.
