When Narcos was released in 2015, it quickly became one of Netflix biggest hits, turning actor Pedro Pascal (now more affectionately known as 'The Internet's Daddy') into a household name.
A huge part of the crime drama's appeal is that it’s based on an extraordinary true story, so of course after watching each episode we head to Google as we try to connect the dots and find out if the Netflix show matches up to what went down in real life.
One figure that especially fascinated us whilst watching Narcos is the daughter of notorious drug-lord Pablo Escobar – Manuela Escobar. But what exactly is Manuela Escobar doing now, 30 years after the death of her father? After an internet deep dive, it looks like Manuela Escobar has managed to live a pretty private life for the most part, and we can’t say we’re all too surprised. But if you’re just dying to know a bit more about who Manuela Escobar is in real life, here’s what we managed to find out about the girl whose father supposedly burned a barrel of $2 million just to keep her warm.
Who is the real Manuela Escobar?
Manuela Escobar is the only daughter of Pablo Escobar and his wife Tata Escobar, her older brother Juan Pablo was born in 1977.
Growing up, Manuela was very much the apple of her father’s eye. So much so that when she once asked for a unicorn, Pablo proceeded to buy her a horse, staple a cone to its head and some wings to its back. An awful thing to do to an animal, but evidence of the lengths Pablo would go to for his little girl.
As it stands, Manuela Escobar is currently the only member of the Escobar family - we're talking Pablo, Tata and Juan Pablo - who hasn't been accused of a single crime.
How old is Manuela Escobar?
Manuela Escobar was born 24 May 1984, which makes her 39 years old now.
Did Manuela Escobar move to Argentina?
According to an old BBC report, a couple of years after her father Pablo Escobar was killed by the Colombian authorities, Manuela Escobar fled Columbia with her mother - Tata Escobar - and brother - Juan Pablo Escobar - in 1995.
There are rumours of them moving as far as Germany, but the trio eventually ended up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They lived there for a few years until their true identities were discovered which then led to Tata Escobar’s arrest for money laundering in 1999. There's no record that her 1999 arrest results in any charges, however in 2018 both Tata and Juan Pablo were charged with money laundering and forced to pay $1million, although it's unclear whether that conviction was upheld.
Did Manuela Escobar change her name?
Some time after moving to Argentina, Manuela Escobar started a new life under the name Juana Manuela Marroquin Santos. Her brother also changed his name and instead of Juan Pablo now goes by Sebastian Marroquin. Their new names were part of an agreement between Columbia and Argentina to grant the family asylum with new identities.
What is Manuela Escobar's net worth?
The family’s money was handed over to the authorities in Colombia when Pablo Escobar died in 1993 - it was estimated he had a fortune of £19 billion - so it's unlikely that any money Manuela Escobar does have now is thanks to her father.
Where is Manuela Escobar today?
There’s very little information about what Manuela Escobar is up to these days, and that’s probably how she wants it to stay. Not much has come to light about her whereabouts since the time of her mother’s arrest back in 2000.
What happened between Manuela Escobar and Cristiano Ronaldo?
According to internet rumours (so there could very well be little truth to this), Manuela Escobar is the mother of Cristiano Ronaldo's eldest son - called Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. - born in 2010. Cristiano Ronaldo has never publicly commented on the claims directly, merely saying in a 2015 interview, 'I am sure [Cristiano Jr] is going to understand 100%. I'm going to say when I feel that the time is right. When he is 10, 11, 12? I don't know, let's see.
'When he grows up, I am always going to tell him the truth because he deserves, because he is my son. But I am not going to say because people want me to say.'
Daisy Hall is a News and Entertainment writer on Grazia, specialising in TV and film meaning that you can count on Daisy for the latest (and best) recommendations.