Netflix's Griselda Is Already In Trouble And It Hasn't Even Premiered Yet

You didn't think Netflix controversies were limited to unexpected Oscar contenders with disputed real-world allegations or, say, a horrendously misguided attempt at a "Squid Game"-based reality show spinoff, did you? It's anyone's guess whether the streamer is purposefully courting headline-grabbing projects or has simply found itself on an unfortunate sleazy streak through no fault of its own. (I know which direction I'm leaning, at least.) Either way, buckle up because the ride's not over just yet.

It's always a tricky thing to dramatize historical events and actual people for mass entertainment — particularly when they involve the criminal world. Netflix's next buzzy title, the upcoming Sofia Vergara-starring series "Griselda" that tells the story of Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco and her rise to power, has all the hallmarks of becoming the next big hit: an A-list name attached in the lead role, a practically made-for-TV backstory that needs to be seen to be believed, and all the sex appeal and violence audiences could ever want. So perhaps the only thing that could derail this runaway train — or, ironically enough, give this an extra boost in the eyes of the public — would be the drug lord's family at the center of this story doing something as dramatic as suing Netflix and Vergara in an attempt to block the show from airing at all.

There are several fascinating angles to this latest instance of Netflix coming under fire and, luckily, we're breaking it all down for you like the shameless rubberneckers we are.

Look, it ain't easy being a woman who comes from nothing and builds an entire international drug trade of her own — and that apparently goes double for the storytellers attempting to depict that unbelievable true story for an expensive streaming series. Then again, perhaps it was only fitting that a fictionalized depiction of a criminal empire would itself wind up in the crosshairs of a legal dispute. According to Entertainment Tonight (via CBS News), Netflix and "Griselda" star/producer Sofia Vergara are both being sued by the family of the real Griselda Blanco, who died in Colombia back in 2012. The main complaint is that her now-adult children, who run her estate, allege that they never authorized the use of their likenesses in the show or were compensated for the material used in the scripts and, as a result, seek to prevent the series from airing at all. This will be a mighty tough task, admittedly, given that "Griselda" is currently on track to premiere on Netflix tomorrow, January 25, 2024.

But it gets even wilder than that. Apparently, even families of drug lords have a tremendous sense of humor. Although there's nothing trivial about allegations that Netflix didn't do its due diligence in clearing all aspects of this story for their fictionalized retelling (which is only the latest adaptation of the Griselda Blanco saga, as Catherine Zeta-Jones previously starred as the drug queenpin in the 2018 Lifetime movie "Cocaine Godmother"), maybe you do have to hand it to the Blanco family. Griselda's son is listed among the plaintiffs in the lawsuit and — get this — his name is Michael Corleone Blanco. You just can't make this stuff up, folks.

Where does the line between fact and fiction blur, and adaptation turns into appropriation? That philosophical question is at the heart of the dispute between Netflix and the Griselda Blanco family ... though, like the true story of Griselda's successful drug cartel, there's more to it than first meets the eye. According to the lawsuit, Michael Corleone Blanco willingly conducted a series of interviews between 2009 and 2022 for anyone potentially interested in telling the story of Griselda and her family. By the time Netflix came knocking at the door, however, those involved in what would become "Griselda" chose not to use any of the material revealed in those interviews and consultations. Yet Blanco insists that the series relies on his own material anyway and, thus, Netflix failed to compensate him and his family properly.

Though the Blanco family is "urgently" seeking a court injunction to prevent the series from airing, it seems unlikely that the release of "Griselda" will be disrupted at this late stage. The Blanco family released the following statement, in part:

"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 humble 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."