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 obtained by ET, 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.
A rep for Netflix had no comment for ET regarding the lawsuit. ET also reached out to Vergara's team. TMZ was first to report on this story.
Ahead of her highly anticipated debut as the Colombian drug lord, the 51-year-old actress sat down with ET to discuss her wild transformation into the infamous "Cocaine Godmother."
Vergara describes Griselda as "a complex person." "There are so many nuances to explore in terms of who she was as a drug lord and, of course, as a woman, as a mother," she explained. "She was someone who did whatever it took to protect her family."
She added, "I really wanted to explore that from the point of view of, you know, of her being one of the only women in history to have gone as far as she did."
RELATED CONTENT:
Video
Sofia Vergara Claps Back After Interviewer Pokes Fun at Her EnglishTV
Griselda Blanco: Everything to Know About the Colombian Drug Lord
News
Sofía Vergara Says She's 'Single Now,' Talks Her Plan for Dating
News
Sofía Vergara Breaks Silence on Public Divorce From Joe Manganiello
News
Sofia Vergara Claps Back After Interviewer Pokes Fun at Her English
TV
'Griselda': Watch Sofia Vergara Transform Into Cocaine Godmother
Related PhotosStars Who've Played Real People
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7psDOp6OippVjsLC5jqymn6GRYsOmvsaaqZplo6qypXnArGSgqpmosq2wwGaZpZmemLy0ecWapKKkqWLAprHKrGStp12drq3AjKucpZ2RqLJuu8VmpZ6vXaOytbLLoq9mq5ikxG5%2BkHFpcmo%3D