Netflix won't pay Narco queen for show based on her life

Netflix and Telemundo, a Spanish TV company, are refusing to pay a former Mexican narco queen for making a series based on her life.

Sandra Ávila Beltrán, known as ‘The Queen Of The Pacific,’ is seeking a cut of the profits of a TV show based on her criminal career called Queen Of The South. Watch the trailer for the third season below:

Netflix and Telemundo are said to have disputed Ávila’s request, noting that because her story is of public interest, she’s not entitled to a payout.

According to Vice, Ávila made her legal request public this week and Netflix and Telemundo answered through Mexico’s Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), saying: “There is a public interest in talking about a person accused of a crime that has brought innumerable violence and victims to this country.”

Israel Razo, Ávila’s attorney, claims the two companies should cough up as much as 40 percent of the show’s revenues for using Ávila’s image without consent during its 11-year stint on air. 

Sipa US / Alamy Stock Photo

In a letter submitted to Mexico’s Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), Ávila allegedly said: “Both companies acted wrongfully with the intention of harming my image and making money out of it.

"When they used my image and my name to refer to ‘The Queen Of The South’, they sought to increase the morbid curiosity of the public and to obtain a financial benefit from it."

When promoting the series’ second season (currently airing on Netflix) in 2019, Telemundo used news footage of Ávila’s arrest.

Netflix and Telemundo have yet to reveal how much revenue the series has generated, and whether or not Ávila will be paid money by the companies will be decided by Mexico’s Supreme Court.

Netflix

If Ávila successfully sues Netflix and Telemundo for a cash payout, it will mark the first time a drug trafficker has ever benefited from having their image used on screen. 

The Queen Of The South’s official Netflix synopsis reads: “After years of blood, sweat and tears, a woman from humble beginnings finds herself in the perilous position of being a legend in drug trafficking.”

UNILAD has approached Netflix and Telemundo for comment. 

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