Way back in 2015, before a crazed reality star became our president, the weirdest thing imaginable was a movie star having a secret rendezvous with the most wanted man in the world. In October of that year, Sean Penn (noted actor and amateur investigative journalist/adventurer) organised a meeting with El Chapo (noted murderous drug lord on the lam after escaping prison for the second time). With the help of Mexican actress Kate del Castillo, Penn spoke with Chapo in the middle of the Mexico jungle, during which Penn farted and the drug lord seemed confused by his presence. And although Penn didn't know how to use a laptop and gave the notorious drug lord prior review of his article, Rolling Stone published the 10,000-word first-hand account, which, if anything, is a bizarre, somewhat entertaining read.
Now, Netflix is releasing a documentary about the whole ordeal told from del Castillo's perspective. It's called The Day I Met El Chapo: The Kate del Castillo Story, and Penn is absolutely pissed and terrified about its release, with his lawyer saying in a statement that Netflix is "hereby on notice that blood will be on their hands if this film causes bodily harm."
According to his lawyer, Penn believes that the documentary implies that he helped authorities capture El Chapo. As a statement from Penn's spokesman told The New York Times:
"It is reprehensible that, in their ongoing, relentless efforts to gain additional attention and publicity, Ms. del Castillo and her team (who have zero firsthand knowledge) have sought to create this profoundly false, foolish, and reckless narrative," Mark Fabiani, a spokesman for Mr. Penn, said in an email. "The notion that Mr. Penn or anyone on his behalf alerted D.O.J. to the trip is a complete fabrication and baldfaced lie. It never happened, nor would there have been any reason for it to have happened."
But David Broome, the producer of the series, claims that the documentary never says that Penn was working with the Department of Justice.
And Netflix said in a statement:
"Penn was given the opportunity on multiple occasions to participate in 'The Day I Met El Chapo' and did not do so. The events surrounding the now-infamous meeting have been well covered, including by Penn himself in Rolling Stone and his many public comments since. The only new ground we're breaking with this series is to give Kate a chance to finally tell her side of this stranger-than-fiction story."
But, perhaps Penn is also disappointed that the documentary is not a feature film about a handsome, rugged actor who bravely ventures into the depths of the Mexican jungle who likes to drive fast, watches Fusion, knew how to surf at age nine, and had his dick in his hand right before meeting the world's most wanted man.
