Griselda Blanco's family settles lawsuit against Netflix and Sofia Vergara
- The estate of Colombian drug queen Griselda Blanco has settled its case against Netflix.
- Blanco's son filed the lawsuit in January in an attempt to stop the release of "Griselda."
The estate of Colombian drug queen Griselda Blanco, who filed a lawsuit against Netflix for using the family's images and likenesses without proper authorization, has settled its case.
Blanco's last surviving son, Michael Blanco, and his wife, Marie Blanco, brought a suit against the streamer and actor/executive producer Sofía Vergara in January in an attempt to block the release of the limited series "Griselda."
According to court records viewed by Business Insider, the counsel for the family dismissed the complaint with prejudice on Friday, February 9, meaning it can't be refiled.
In the suit, originally filed on January 17 in a Miami-Dade County Court, Blanco said the show's creators used his "private artistic literary work" without permission or credit, creating "irreparable harm."
He requested a temporary injunction to stop the streamer from releasing the limited series on January 25 and at least $50,000 in damages.
Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, "Griselda" creator Eric Newman appeared unfazed, telling Entertainment Tonight in an interview (via IndieWire) that the Escobar family "made similar claims" when he was working as a showrunner on "Narcos."
"It's not my first rodeo," he said. "We had a very specific story we wanted to tell. I believe we told it, and I don't think it in any way prevents someone else from telling their own version of it."
Meanwhile, the younger Blanco has said that he has since checked out the series and described the viewing experience as "very emotional."
Speaking on "The Real Griselda," a podcast hosted by the filmmaker Billy Corben — whose "Cocaine Cowboys" documentary franchise introduced the world to the "Cocaine Godmother" — he said: "It's a rush of emotions. It's very surreal."
He continued: "I'm not going to lie to you; it was very emotional. There was a point where I found myself gasping for air. I found myself happy. I found myself sad."
However, he added that his family's story "deserved a little more."
"I feel that the story, our story, my family's story, the Blanco family's universe, it's so complex and so legendary it should be shown respect when it comes to storytelling."
The week it was released, "Griselda" became the most-watched title on Netflix, reaching No. 1 in 89 countries, according to Variety. It currently holds an 88 percent critics rating and 71 percent audience score on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.