Sofia Vergara and Netflix sued by Griselda Blanco's family over unauthorized use of image and likeness

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Sofia Vergara is embroiled in a legal dispute with infamous Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco's family over the upcoming release of her miniseries 'Griselda.'

In the series, Vergara portrays the notorious "Cocaine Godmother" who was known to be the real-life Colombian kingpin as she created one of history's most profitable drug cartels while she orchestrated the trafficking of cocaine through Miami.

Blanco's family seeks halt of 'Griselda' release

The adult children of Blanco who acts as representatives of her estate have now sued Vergara and Netflix as they seek to halt the release of 'Griselda' claiming the series made unauthorized use of their family's image and likeness.

Michael, son of Griselda claims that he provided interviews since 2009 to individuals who were interested in creating a show and a book based on his life story and that of his mother, according to ET.

He further alleged that these interviews continued until 2022, with promises made to shop the project for production around Hollywood reportedly starting in 2016.

He also claimed that though Netflix expressed interest in the project, the streaming platform did not want to incorporate details or consultations from his previous interviews.

Michael alleged that the miniseries which is set to release on January 25 provided him no proper compensation despite relying on his anecdotes and materials.

The filing argues that the streaming platform essentially appropriated Blanco's story and integrated it into the upcoming series which violates their children's rights as their images and likenesses have been utilized without their permission.

The legal filing does not explicitly prohibit the portrayal of Blanco, a prominent figure in cocaine-based trade who died in 2012.

However, her children stated that the production has utilized their likenesses and interview materials.

Why is Sofia Vergara being sued by Griselda Blanco's family?

Vergara is also being sued as per the lawsuit as she serves as an executive producer of the series.

During a recent interview with host Jimmy Fallon, Vergara expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming series as she highlighted the majority of Latin American actors in the cast.

The 'Modern Family' alum went on to praise director Andres Baiz for guiding her in her journey to immerse herself in the depiction of the "Cocaine Godmother."

She further shared some unconventional skills she acquired for the portrayal of Blanco as she said, "I didn’t know anything. He taught me how to smoke. He taught me how to do cocaine. He taught me a lot."

Fallon who jokingly expressed evident concern quickly interjected as he said, "Alright, hold on, hold on.”

Vergara then explained that the experience "was amazing because I was 51 years old, and I didn’t even know how to, you know, how to light a cigarette."

"I’ve never done cocaine. So it’s like, it was amazing. It was like a great experience," she added.