How Did the Real Griselda Blanco Die & How Old Was She? Sofia Vergara Explains Why Netflix Series Doesn't Cover Her Death

Sofia Vergara stars in the new Netflix series Griselda, a fictionalized dramatization inspired by the life of the savvy and ambitious Griselda Blanco, who created one of the most powerful cartels in history.

The six-episode limited series is already at #1 on the Netflix charts after just one day on the streaming service and fans will likely continue discovering the show in the coming weeks.

Sofia is opening up about the show’s ending and why the series doesn’t explore the later years of Griselda‘s life, including her tragic death.

Keep reading to find out more…

For those who don’t know, the real Griselda died at the age of 69 on September 3, 2012 in Medellín, Colombia.

Griselda was assassinated by a masked man while she was standing outside a butcher shop and we’ve learned the law enforcement didn’t even realize she was alive still.

People reports that former Miami homicide detective Nelson Andreu said, “It’s surprising to all of us that she had not been killed sooner because she made a lot of enemies. When you kill so many and hurt so many people like she did, it’s only a matter of time before they find you and try to even the score.”

At the time of her death, Griselda was with a pregnant daughter-in-law, who reportedly took a Bible and laid it on her chest after she was shot.

So, why doesn’t the series show this scene?

“We only had six episodes!” Sofia told Variety.

Co-creator Eric Newman added, “We had to show this is someone who cared about her children. So for us, I think the real loss is not her death many years later. It is the loss of the very thing she was trying to protect. Or that she thought she was trying to protect. You know, we are all heroes in our own story, and she’s got an explanation –– not necessarily an excuse but an explanation –– for why she did what she did. But that is where the loss really hurts.”

In another recent interview, Sofia clapped back at a famous host after being told her transformation in the series was “slight.”