Sofia Vergara 'being sued by Griselda Blanco's family' over new Netflix show

19 January 2024 , 19:14

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Sofia Vergara is reportedly being taken to court by the family of Griselda (Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Sofia Vergara is reportedly being taken to court by the family of Griselda Blanco over her new upcoming series on Netflix.

Griselda is a fictionalised dramatisation inspired by the life of Griselda Blanco, who allegedly created one of the most powerful cartels in history. The six-episode special, set in the 70s to 80s, has caused uproar with real-life Griselda's family.

According to TMZ, she was assassinated in 2012 and now her children, acting as representatives of her estate, claim Sofia's portrayal of their mother is "unauthorised". The family is suing the actress and Netflix for the use of Griselda's image and likeness in the series.

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Netflix's Griselda is set for release on January 25 (© 2022 Netflix, Inc.)

According to court documents seen by the outlet, real-life Griselda's kids are trying to "prevent the release" of Sofia's new show, allegedly asking for an injunction to block its release in only a few days' time on January 25.

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Griselda's son, Michael, says he has been doing interviews for years about a possible show about his mother, per TMZ. Michael claims he's been doing interviews since 2009, with the possibility of the story also becoming a book.

TMZ says Michael's story was set to be 'shopped around Hollywood' in 2016, but went nowhere. He alleges his interviews were pitched to Netflix, but after they showed interest, they reportedly didn't want to use any of his details.

TMZ states that Michael "claims he's learned this new 'Griselda' show does, in fact, lean on a lot of his anecdotes and material ... but he says he never saw a dime", resulting in a lawsuit by him and his siblings, alleging Netflix "ripped off their family story".

According to the complaint, the kids claim use of their own images and likenesses in the show without their permission violate their rights.

Netflix declined to comment when approached by The Mirror, Sofia Vergara's representatives have also been contacted for comment.

Harry Rutter