Sofia Vergara, Netflix Sued by Drug Lord’s Son as He Tries to Block ‘Griselda’ Premiere

The only surviving son of notorious “Cocaine Godmother” Griselda Blanco is suing to block the upcoming premiere of the Netflix limited series Griselda on the grounds that it relies on his “private narratives” without permission.

Plaintiff Michael Sepulveda Blanco alleges in paperwork filed Friday that Netflix, Sofia Vergara and other producers behind Griselda stole his “private artistic literary work” and will cause “irreparable injury” and “damage his reputation in the entertainment community” if he’s not given proper credit.

Billed as a “fictionalized” version of the life of the infamous Colombian drug queen, Griselda stars Vergara in the title role and features superstar Colombian singer-songwriter Karol G in her acting debut. Set in 1970s and Eighties Miami, the series, set to debut Jan. 25, dramatizes Blanco’s “lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm,” Netflix says.

In his amended emergency motion for a temporary injunction filed Friday, Michael Sepulveda Blanco claims the series relies on highly “private narratives” about his family that he shared with two former partners after they entered into a development agreement in 2009. Sepulveda Blanco says he “devoted several years to meticulously documenting the private narratives of his, as well as his mother’s life, with the intention of publishing a book and developing a Spanish soap opera.”

According to the 10-page motion obtained by Rolling Stone, the two men, Andres Hernandez Lopez and Rafael Alfredo Rojas Vega, worked with Sepulveda Blanco extensively between 2009 and 2022, interviewing him and recording him as he recounted “private details from his artistic literary work about his family’s life.” The men later told Sepulveda Blanco about a meeting with Netflix that happed without his attendance, the paperwork states. Sepulveda Blanco claims he was informed at the time that Netflix has passed on working with him or using his private accounts. He alleges the two men “ceased all communication” with him after that.
Editor’s picks
The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
The 50 Worst Decisions in Movie History
Every Awful Thing Trump Has Promised to Do in a Second Term

In his motion to block the show’s premiere, Sepulveda Blanco alleges the two former partners, who are also named as defendants, secretly proceeded to “actively market and sell” his “unreleased, private artistic literary work” to Griselda producers Luis Balaguer, Melissa Escobar, Vergara, Latin World Entertainment and Netflix. The filing names all the identified parties as co-defendants.

Sepulveda Blanco says that after he learned about the Griselda project through news accounts, he met with Balaguer in 2021 and offered to “provide consultations.” He claims Balaguer “boasted” that the producers had no need for his help and wouldn’t even be using “a specific scene” referenced in his private narratives. “Only four individuals knew about this scene,” the filing states. Balaguer purportedly admitted during the meeting that he had been in contact with Hernando Lopez, according to the motion.

A spokesperson for Netflix declined to comment on the suit. Attempts to reach reps for Vergara and Balaguer were not immediately successful. A judge did not immediately rule on the motion for emergency injunction Friday.

“Michael Blanco was more than willing to share his hard work and the nonpublic details of his mother’s life with Latin World Entertainment/Netflix if he was to be fairly compensated. Make no mistake, Michael Blanco is humbled and thrilled each and every time someone reaches out to shine light on his mother and the Blanco family. However, in the case of Netflix/Latin World Entertainment, the defendants approached Michael Blanco to gain his work, perspective, and insight to only turn around and act like he does not exist, in an apparent attempt to reap their own profits. It is disappointing that Latin World Entertainment/Netflix would pretend that it is acceptable to use Michael Blanco’s commercial work without his permission,” Sepulveda Blanco’s lawyer Elysa Galloway said in a statement to Rolling Stone.

Trending

The Pointless Cruelty of Ron DeSantis
Trump Goes on Anti-Nikki Haley Tirade After She Questions His Mental Fitness
The Most Cringe-Inducing Moments of DeSantis’ National Humiliation
‘SNL’ Host Jacob Elordi and Chloe Fineman Make Out Like Crazy

“Common courtesy, consent, and compensation would have amicably resolved the issues with the defendants and prevented this lawsuit,” she continued. “This lawsuit boils down to the principle of decent respect for an individual and for the applicable laws coupled with the illegal use and/or exploitation of Blanco’s persona, his literary ideas, and his duty concerning his mother’s wishes.”

Griselda, delivered in six hour-long episodes, also stars Alberto Guerra, Christian Tappan, Martín Rodríguez, Juliana Aidén Martinez, and Vanessa Ferlito.