Sofia Vergara has been criticized by the son of “cocaine godmother” Griselda Blanco over her new Netflix series, which tells the story of how his mother's legendary rule paved the way for Colombia's most notorious cartel.
Michael Corleone Blanco, 45, spoke exclusively to about his anger and disappointment at the fact that Sofia and her team rejected his offer to consult on the project, describing the rejection as a “slap in the face” – and said they “would” “I wouldn't have gotten away with it” if his mother was still alive.
Griselda's only surviving son also criticized the “disrespectful” decision to alter Sofia's superstar look with facial prosthetics to portray her famous mother – the first criminal billionaire who ruled a reign of terror during the Cocaine Cowboys' drug wars in Miami in the 1970s and 1980s .
Sofia, 51, previously revealed it took her two hours to transform into Griselda in the make-up chair and Michael made it clear he was furious at the interpretation.
“My mother was a beautiful woman and it's crazy that a lot of people say, 'No, you must look more like a drug addict'… The fact that they call her 'ugly' really offends me,” he said.
He expressed disappointment that people always based their idea of his mother's appearance on her mugshots, and stressed that using images taken after decades in prison was not a fair representation of her.
In an exclusive interview with , Griselda's son Michael Corleone Blanco criticized Sofia Vergara and her team over their new Netflix series about his infamous mother
Griselda Blanco, pictured left, was a barely 5-foot-tall Colombian “queen” who was linked to 250 murders while running her billion-dollar empire. Actress Sofia in the role of Griselda – pictured on the right
“People see the mugshots and just assume that,” he continued. “But if you read my book, you will see that my mother was called the Porcelain Doll when she was young.”
“Mayors, governors and politicians in various countries would try to woo my mother… even here in the United States. “She was the cream of the crop.”
Michael recalled that his mother was something of a “celebrity” during her time in the Medellín cartel, emphasizing that she had a glamorous and pampered appearance.
“She was always a beautiful woman,” he emphasized. “Of course 26 years in prison ages a person. “And my mother was so used to being pampered and she was so used to being looked after.”
The “Cartel Crew” star then revealed that his mother even paid for dental treatment for herself and her family members, which was then nicknamed the “Burt Reynolds Grill” and cost about $150,000 per person in 1976.
“My mother was the first Colombian person in history to have the Hollywood grill,” he enthused. “I have it now, but it's a lot cheaper now, ha. “She wasn't a saint, but I'll tell you something…my mother was a star and a queen.”
Sofia's new series took eight years to work on and Michael revealed he was aware of her interest in telling his mother's story – and the Blanco Family Fincas businessman even offered his services as a consultant.
His lawyer Elysa Galloway confirmed to : “Sofia Vergara did not consult any members of the Blanco family to show respect or learn family details when portraying Griselda.” When Michael found out about the Griselda project, we reached out Sofia's camp and offered consulting services to Michael's.
Sofia's Netflix series follows Blanco's rise as a drug trafficker from Colombia to Miami, where she was a key figure in the Medellin Cartel during the Cocaine Cowboy Wars in the 1980s
Michael shared his anger and disappointment that Sofia and her team refused to let him consult on the project (pictured with his mother).
Sofia has hit the headlines after transforming her superstar appearance with facial prosthetics and make-up to play the first female criminal billionaire
The Modern Family star revealed that it took her two hours in the makeup chair to transform into her drug lord role – a transformation that Michael found disrespectful
“They invited us to sit with them to tell us that there was no space available for the project.” “Sofia's camp and the Netflix creators were disrespectful and ended up producing the Griselda project on their own for commercial reasons, without any important ones Details from the Blanco family.”
Michael emphasized: “All I can say is that if my mother were still alive, she wouldn't have gotten away with it.”
He explained that what added salt to the wound was the fact that this “insulting” treatment came from fellow Colombian Sofia.
“It’s a slap in the face knowing we come from the same country and the same culture,” he said.
“No matter what happens, you must respect my mother enough to seek counseling from our youngest son – her best friend who visited her five times a week during her 23 years of incarceration.”
The angry weed seller added: “It's not just a slap in the face, it's a slap in the face of my ancestors that she would do something like that.” No matter where you are or how elite you are, it's on them Colombian way.”
Griselda famously grew up in a slum in the cocaine cartel city of Medellin, Colombia, and ruled a $2 billion empire that stretched from the South American country to Miami, New York and California.
The “cocaine godmother” was imprisoned from 1985 to 2004 for drug trafficking and murder and was deported to Colombia in 2004
Griselda married several times and gave birth to four children, the youngest of whom she named, with a touch of black humor, Michael Corleone Blanco
By the time she was released from prison in 2004, two of her sons had been killed by rivals in Colombia and Griselda was deported as an illegal U.S. immigrant. Pictured with Michael
She gained power by being more inventive and even more ruthless than the drug lords who emerged in the 1970s.
The Queenpin kept order with a gold-plated, emerald-encrusted submachine gun while earning $80 million a month.
At one point it is reported that she and boss Pablo Escobar constantly ordered each other to be beaten. She is accused of being linked to 200 murders.
She was fatally shot outside a butcher shop in her hometown of Medellín in 2012 at the age of 69
Michael admitted that he can understand why people are so keen to adapt his mother's story for the big screen, but said he found it “insulting” that he wasn't given the same respect that Irish-Americans or Italians are American crime families, he claimed, had received similar productions.
“They really messed up.” “That's a slap in the face,” he said. “You expect that from different cultures – but I never thought that a Colombian mother would do that – a queen in her own right, because Sofia is a queen and I don't condemn all the work she has done. “My mother has no haters raised.'
In his new book, “My Mother, The Godmother, and the True Story of Michael Corleone Blanco, the Son of Griselda Blanco,” he will share astonishing insights about the woman whose groundbreaking ways helped flood the United States with cocaine.
He revealed that he began taking notes to tell his family's story back in 2006, receiving information directly from his mother before she was ultimately murdered in 2012 at the age of 69.
Michael criticized Sofia's new project and called the rejection of his help a “slap in the face.”
He claimed his mother's story was hidden from the family thanks to urban legends and Hollywood
“During her incarceration, I was always asking her about things and taking notes,” he explained. “Just as a child, I wanted to know how he was really raised. “It also came from my desire to know more about my family’s history in Colombia, how we emigrated and so on.”
He decided to publish all this information in a book to reclaim the narrative surrounding his family.
“Someone in the family has to tell the story properly,” he continued. “I just feel like my family’s life story should be humanized, not denigrated.”
“I feel like it's my duty to do it.” And if I didn't do it, I wouldn't keep my word to my OG, to my mother. “I’m just holding it back for the family – and I’m doing it legally.”
Michael insisted it was time for a family member to finally reveal the true story to dispel some of the long-held myths surrounding his mother.
He mused: “Urban myth, public record, street legend, legacy…word of mouth distorts everything.” Hollywood and the masses feel that they must glorify or somehow explore the legend of Griselda Blanco in order to fit it into a particular narrative .
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. My mother wasn't a saint, she did a lot of bad things – but she was a mother, the head of a household. I just wanted the masses to understand that, you know?
He continued: “Not only am I here to humanize my mother and my family, but there are so many gaps, there are so many gaps in the decades, and in the story of it, that will only be right if the storytelling comes from one of them 'the Blancos.'
In fact, Sofia isn't the only star interested in bringing Griselda's story to life.
The cartel icon was previously played by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the 2018 Lifetime biopic Cocaine Godmother, which focused on her relationship with her lover Carolina.
Michael tells his mother's story in the upcoming book “My Mother, the Godmother and the True Story of Michael Corleone Blanco, the Son of Griselda Blanco.”
Michael will also share details about his childhood and his father's murder, possibly on his mother's orders. Toddler Michael is pictured with his father Dario Sepulveda
Michael admitted he could easily understand why people were keen to bring his mother's story to the big screen, like the many other shows and films based on the lives of famous drug lords
Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez will be the next big name to play Griselda in a film called The Godmother.
“The Handmaid's Tale” director Reed Morano has signed on to the project, but it is still unclear when production will begin.
In 2021, Michael called out Lopez for failing to contact him and invite him to a consultation about his mother's life story.
While most fans only found out about the project in 2020, Michael revealed that he had known about some of the projects for the last decade.
He explained: “Through third parties and I found out that J-Lo, Sofia, Catherine Zeta Jones and Salma Hayek, I think, are all looking at projects.”
“My lawyer at the time was one of the best life rights lawyers ever. I knew it for a long time, even my mother knew it.'
Despite his anger at being iced out, Michael expressed pride that such big Hollywood names are interested in his mother.
He said: “I am extremely happy with the women involved in these projects.” My offense stems from disrespecting the family's legacy.
“Because when you admire someone so much, you show respect to their family.” “She was a pioneer, she completely changed the game.”
However, Michael admitted that there were some potentially fatal drawbacks to showcasing his mother's legacy in big-budget projects – suggesting that a production could have resulted in his mother's death.
He recalled how a program about Pablo Escobar's life that aired after his mother was released from prison reminded people that she was Pablo's “mentor.”
“There were a few episodes that showed she was a pioneer in all areas,” he explained. “Because of this soap opera, I believe that the attention and negativity she brought to my mother's name and legacy may also have led to her murder. “Before that, she was just under the radar.”
Sofia Vergara isn't the only star interested in bringing Griselda's story to life
The Cartel icon was previously played by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the Lifetime biopic Cocaine Godmother, while Jennifer Lopez will produce and star in the upcoming film The Godmother
While Michael intends to watch the new Netflix limited series to keep an eye out for any false myths being presented to the masses, he was quick to point out that one main narrative is, in his opinion, untrue.
His mother was jailed for allegedly organizing three contract killings that left toddler Johnny Castro dead. Police claimed the child died when bullets intended for his father, Jesus Castro, hit the boy instead.
Michael made it clear that he did not believe his mother would ever demand the death of a child, as has been suggested in retellings of her story.
“They keep portraying my mother as a child murderer,” he began. “She had four little boys, she was godmother to 200 children. “It's just a myth.”
Then he pointed out another common mistake and continued: “The other myth was that she was a 24-hour junkie.” Now if she ran a company – and she ran a company like she was someone on Forbes -list – then she couldn't behave like that. She was far from that.'
From the day he was born in a Medellin hospital, Michael's middle name would inextricably link him with crime.
Griselda decided it should be Corleone because she was obsessed with The Godfather films and the central Mafia family.
His father was her third husband, cocaine dealer Dario Sepulveda. There have long been rumors that Dario was killed by a blow from Griselda.
Michael, who also talks about his mother in the Tubi documentary “Queen of Cocaine”, was himself an important figure in his mother's criminal empire after she was sentenced to 25 years in prison in the USA for drug trafficking. His brothers Osvaldo, Dixon and Uber were all murdered.
Griselda will be available to stream on Netflix from January 25th
Michael previously told that he survived seven assassination attempts while growing up in Colombia and became part of the family business when he was nine.
As a teenager, he was virtually in control, helping his mother out of her California prison cell after her arrest in 1985.
He eventually turned his back on crime and risked his life to escape the cartel.
Today he lives as a “suburban dad” with his wife Marie Ramirez De Arellano and three children while running his successful marijuana business.
Reflecting on why he believes it is so important to tell his family's story, Michael explained: “I am a history buff and therefore believe that history should not only be told by the victors but also by the losers. “You can call me whatever you want, but I'm in both worlds.
“Some people will say, 'You're glorifying the lifestyle.' I glorify my mother, but if you read my book you'll see my public apology to the masses and to the victims of the cocaine and crack wars of the 1970s and 1980s .”
He ended with the words: “I apologize because I am a victim myself… I have buried 22 members of my family.” I have survived countless assassination attempts. Look at how I lost my mother.'
The first criminal billionaire: Griselda Blanco
Blanco, known as the “Cocaine Godmother,” created one of the most profitable drug cartels in history and is also said to be the first female criminal billionaire.
She earned the nickname Cocaine Godmother when she shipped drugs from Medellín to the United States via Miami.
Born in Colombia in 1943, Griselda quickly became a ruthless criminal, committing her first murder when she was only 11 years old and her victim was 10 years old.
The criminal, who was forced into prostitution by her mother at the age of eight, first turned to drug trafficking while living in Queens, New York, then moved to Miami.
Griselda was married several times and had four children, the youngest of whom she named after another well-known film gangster, Michael Corleone Blanco.
Griselda was imprisoned in the 1980s for three murders, two of drug dealers and one of a two-year-old boy.
In 2004, La Madrina was released and deported to Colombia, and in 2012, a motorcyclist shot her dead outside a butcher shop in Medellín at the age of 69.
Griselda's story first captured the public's fascination after it was featured in Cocaine Cowboys 2: Hustlin' With The Godmother, part of a 2008 documentary series.
Blanco was previously played by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the 2018 Lifetime biopic Cocaine Godmother, which was about her relationship with her lover Carolina.