Jennifer Lopez is fresh off of celebrating her 50th birthday like a boss, and now it's being revealed that she'll be playing one in her next film role. The multi-hyphenated entertainer is preparing for the release of her forthcoming film Hustlers, a strip club-centered flick that she both stars in and produced. Months before that movie is set to hit theaters on September 13, it's been announced that J. Lo will portray deadly "Cocaine Grandmother" Griselda Blanco in The Godmother.
Michael Blanco, Griselda's son, confirmed the news on Instagram by writing, "So happy to hear this is going to happen finally!!, @jlo is una patrona it’s only right she plays my mother the late great ,GRISELDA, la meramera !!!" However, it looks as if Michael hasn't been asked for his input in the development of the storyline because he added, "If u think I shd be involved in this project let them know 🕷🕷🕷🕷."
At one point in time, Griselda was one of the most prolific leading forces in drug trafficking as the head of a Colombian drug cartel. Her story has been shared multiple times in documentaries and television docu-series, but this is the first big-budget film that will feature her life and death. The underworld boss did spend time in prison for her crimes, but even from behind bars she used her connections to continue running her multi-million dollar narcotics empire. She is a polarizing figure as she is celebrated by some and reviled by others for her nefarious dealings.
Upon her release from prison, Griselda was deported back to Colombia. In 2012 when she was 69-years-old, she was leaving a butcher shop when a motorcyclist assassinated her in broad daylight. Her son Michael currently stars in the VH1 reality series Cartel Crew that follows the family members of infamous figures allegedly involved in drug cartels.