Sofia Vergara Sued as Griselda Blanco’s Family Seeks to Halt Release of New Netflix Show

Sofia Vergara is being taken to court by the family of infamous Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco over her upcoming miniseries, Griselda, in which the Modern Family alum stars as the “Cocaine Godmother” — the notorious real-life Colombian kingpin, who created one of history’s most profitable cartels while running cocaine through Miami, Florida. 

Blanco’s adult children, acting as representatives of her estate, have filed a lawsuit against Vergara and Netflix, aiming to block the release of the series, claiming the unauthorized use of their family’s image and likeness.

According to the lawsuit, Griselda’s son, Michael, alleges that he had been providing interviews since 2009 to individuals interested in developing his life story and that of his mother into a production, potentially a show and a book. 

Michael claims these interviews were conducted up until 2022 and that the individuals involved promised to shop the project around Hollywood starting in 2016.

Michael further alleges that Netflix expressed interest in the project but did not want to utilize any details or consultations from his interviews. However, he claims that the upcoming miniseries heavily relies on his anecdotes and materials without proper compensation

The lawsuit contends that Netflix essentially appropriated the family’s story and incorporated it into the show, violating the Blanco children’s rights by using their images and likenesses without permission. 

While the lawsuit does not explicitly prohibit the depiction of their mother, a public figure, the children assert that their likenesses and interview materials were utilized in the production.

The show, scheduled for release on Jan. 25, has Vergara as an executive producer, potentially explaining her inclusion in the lawsuit. The Blanco children are urgently seeking a court injunction to prevent the show’s release.

TMZ was first to report on this story.

By Anthony Dominic

Photo: Getty