Sofia Vergara has reportedly been named in a new lawsuit by the family of Griselda Blanco, whom she is playing in the upcoming Netflix series Griselda.
Blanco’s adult children, on behalf of the late Colombian queenpin’s estate, sued Vergara, 51, and the streaming platform, according to court documents obtained by TMZ. Blanco’s children have claimed that Vergara’s portrayal is an unauthorized use of their family’s image and likeness. They are seeking an injunction to block the release of Griselda, which is scheduled to debut on Thursday, January 25. (Us Weekly has reached out to Vergara and Netflix for comment.)
Blanco’s son, Michael, alleged that he’s been providing interviews to individuals interested in developing the family’s story since 2009, claiming that Netflix was one of the parties he spoke with about acquiring the rights. However, Michael said that Griselda used his anecdotes and materials without providing him proper compensation.
Griselda, which Vergara also executive-produced, is a fictionalized dramatization of Blanco’s life as a powerful drug cartel leader. According to a Netflix logline, Griselda is “set in 1970s-80s Miami, [where] Blanco’s lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helps her expertly navigate between business and family, leading her to become widely known as ‘the Godmother.’” (Blanco, known as The Cocaine Godmother, was killed in 2012 at the age of 69.)
The six-episode miniseries also stars Alberto Guerra, Christian Tappan, Martín Rodríguez, Juliana Aidén Martinez, Vanessa Ferlito and singer Karol G. It was created by Narcos showrunner Eric Newman, Doug Miro, Ingrid Escajeda and Carlo Bernard and directed by Andrés Baiz.
Vergara underwent a physical transformation before filming to better resemble the real-life Blanco.
“I needed to disappear. It was in Miami in the ’70s and the ’80s. Getting the look correct was very important to me,” the Modern Family alum told E! News on Wednesday, January 17.
Vergara wore prosthetic makeup, which took hours on end to apply. Her character also sported five wigs to accommodate the show’s multiple timelines.
“By the time she left her makeup trailer, she was Griselda. And that’s why Sofia is so perfect,” Newman told the outlet.
Vergara’s physicality wasn’t the only thing that was fake about the production.
“It 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 joked during a Tuesday, January 16, appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “The cocaine that I did was fake, but I had to pretend. The cigarettes are also fake. Everything was, it’s fake. But the acting was real.”
