Sofia Vergara takes on the role of deceased Colombian drug trafficker Griselda Blanco, and the son of the real-life “godmother of cocaine” is not happy.
The former “Modern Family” actress stars in Netflix's “Griselda,” where she also serves as executive producer. The series explores the rise and fall of Blanco, a single mother of four who rose to infamy as a cartel leader before being shot to death in 2012 at age 69. Blanco, who ran a cocaine-fueled empire with an iron fist during the '70s and '80s, has often been called “the female Pablo Escobar.”
Blanco's surviving son criticized the series, calling it “disrespectful.”
THE SON OF THE GODMOTH OF COCAINE EXPLAINS WHY HE IS SEEKING REALITY TV FAME WITH 'CARTEL CREW'
Sofía Vergara plays the deceased drug trafficker Griselda Blanco in “Griselda.” (Netflix)
“Sofía Vergara did not consult with any member of the Blanco family as a sign of respect or to obtain family details when playing my mother,” Michael Corleone Blanco told Fox News Digital.
“When I found out about the 'Griselda' project, my team approached the Sofia camp and offered my consulting services,” said the 45-year-old.
Michael also alleged that after an invitation to sit down with Vergara's team, he was told there was “no room on the project.” He claimed that the series was made without the participation of any member of his family.
Griselda Blanco was murdered in Colombia in 2012. (TO MINE)
“Sofía's side and the Netflix creators were disrespectful and in the end they produced the 'Griselda' project themselves for commercial purposes, without key details of the Blanco family,” he said. “After the meeting, my attorneys formally sent a cease and desist letter to Netflix and Sofia's camp. As of today, neither Netflix nor Sofia's camp have made any attempt to reconcile.”
“Regardless of public information, basic respect is warranted,” Michael continued. “I am the only living child of Griselda who has life rights agreements signed by Griselda herself in which she intended for me to carry out her life story. I am a businessman in the entertainment industry and understand the importance of the movies because I have a book to publish, based on the true story.”
Michael has written a memoir, “My Mother, the Godmother.” He also announced a podcast on YouTube, “The Real Griselda with Michael Corleone,” which aims to tell “the real story.”
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Sofia Vergara reportedly underwent prosthetics for two hours to transform into Griselda Blanco. (Netflix)
A spokesperson for Vergara, 51, and Netflix did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
In an interview with the UK's Daily Mail, Michael criticized the show for portraying his mother as “ugly.” According to the media, Vergara had to undergo two hours of prosthetics to transform into the matriarch.
“My mother was a beautiful woman, and it's crazy that a lot of people say, 'No, you have to look more like a drug addict'… The fact that they called her 'ugly,' that really offends me.” “Look at the mugshots and move on, but when you read my book, you'll see that my mother was called the china doll in her youth.”
Griselda Blanco was one of the first Colombian women to traffic cocaine into the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. She had been deported to Colombia in 2004 after spending nearly 20 years behind bars in the United States for drug trafficking and three related murders. with drugs. She was the subject of the 2006 documentary “Cocaine Cowboys,” which focused on drug trafficking in Miami. (TO MINE)
“The only thing I have to say is that if my mother was alive, she wouldn't have gotten away with this,” he said, referring to Vergara. “No matter what happens, you must respect my mother enough to seek consultation from [her] youngest son, her best friend who visited her five times a week during her… incarceration.”
Michael previously claimed he turned his life around after a motorcycle killer killed his mother. He has spoken about his mother over the years and appeared on the VH1 reality series “Cartel Crew” in 2019.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Pablo Escobar, the godfather of the Medellín Cartel in Colombia in February 1988. Escobar was reportedly inspired by Griselda Blanco. (Eric Vandeville/Gamma-Rapho)
According to the network, the series aimed to observe the lives of eight descendants of the cartel “as they navigate adulthood and the effects the legacy has had on their upbringing.”
Blanco, who grew up in the slums of Medellín and was murdered there, commanded a ruthless group that sent an average of 3,400 pounds of cocaine per month to the United States, the Miami Herald reported. It is said that he inspired and even groomed Pablo Escobar.
Blanco's reign of terror began in the 1970s, Newsweek reported, noting that unofficial counts link his organization to at least 250 murders. She is believed to be the mastermind behind the motorcycle shooting and earned the nickname “Black Widow” for allegedly killing all three of her husbands. Later, two of her children were murdered.
A group of tourists visit the grave of Griselda Blanco, known as the “Godmother” of cocaine. (Daniel Romero/Picture Alliance)
Police caught up with her in 1985, resulting in Blanco spending 19 years in US prisons before reaching a plea deal in 2004 and being deported. He reportedly kept a low profile in his final years before his death.
Shortly before the premiere of “Cartel Crew,” Michael told Fox News Digital that he wasn't worried about putting his life in front of the cameras.
“As for concern, there is a certain element that always has to be taken into account,” he explained at the time. “We were trained to always be in situations where you have to be alarmed. That's life. That's how we grew up, that's how I grew up. That being said, we are living in a new era. We are living in a new era. This is the era of social media. This is the era of 'Narcos' TV shows and movies on Netflix. So I think anyone has the right to tell his story.”
DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU ARE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Catherine Zeta-Jones previously played Griselda Blanco in a Lifetime movie. (Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Penske Media)
“Fear? No, fear does not live here. I fear the wrath of God, that's what I say.”
In 2012, the Miami New Times reported that mother and son sold the rights to their life stories to First Born Films after Blanco was the subject of a 2006 documentary, “Cocaine Cowboys.” In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Jennifer Lopez was set to play Blanco in an HBO film. Then in 2017, Catherine Zeta-Jones played Blanco in the Lifetime TV movie “Cocaine Godmother.”
“I'm all for J. Lo playing my mom,” Michael said. “She was one of my original choices. The Catherine Zeta-Jones project was great too. I'm all for it. Anything that can be useful to my life. As long as it's a lucrative project… As long as the “The story is told correctly from the horse's mouth. I say this for myself and other family members.”
In 2016, it was reported that Jennifer Lopez would play Griselda Blanco in an upcoming HBO biopic. (Gilbert Flores/World Water Day)
Michael was given the middle name “Corleone” after Al Pacino's character in “The Godfather.” The film, which was released in 1972, chronicles how an elderly patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his empire to his reluctant son.
“I'm not going to sugarcoat it,” Michael said. “My mother was no saint, I know. But the truth is, she was my mother. She took care of me.”
Michael said he was 5 years old when he realized his family was different.
SOFÍA VERGARA GETS HONEST ABOUT DIVORCE BEFORE THE PUBLIC: 'THAT'S PART OF BEING A CELEBRITY'
Sofía Vergara said she saw Griselda Blanco as Tony Soprano from the HBO series “The Sopranos.” (Netflix)
“I understood that we had more than anyone else,” he recalled. “I understood that my father was not the boss. My mother told everyone what to do and that she was the boss. We moved after she moved. I understood that my mother was the queen of the castle. I understood that she was not the boss. boss. a normal person.”
Blanco reportedly first became involved in drug trafficking as a desperate means to support his children. Vergara told “CBS Mornings” that he saw Blanco as Tony Soprano from “The Sopranos.”
“A character that people didn't hate,” Vergara said. “He was a bad guy though.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
