Is Medusa series based on a true story?

Colombian suspense thriller, Medusa, arrived on Netflix on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, with a compelling plot of secrets, treachery, crimes, revenge, and a family of Colombian elite. The series has 12 episodes that narrate the history of the Hidalgo dynasty and how the CEO of the family's conglomerate almost died after an accident at sea.

With a riveting premise, it's natural for audiences to ask if the story is rooted in real life. However, Medusa is not based on a real story according to Netflix, which implies that the show's powerful Hidalgo family is also not based on a real-life family. That said, the show didn't come without any drama long before it debuted on the streaming platform, questioning its true origin.

Starring Juana Acosta as CEO Barbará Hidalgo, Said Chamie and Claudia Sánchez Morales are credited as the show's creators and writers.

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Medusa is fictional, says Netflix

According to Netflix, per its profile on Netflix Tudum, the show is fictional and not based on a real story. It's also an original story, per Netflix Tudum, and not an adaptation of a book. Said Chamie and Claudia Sánchez Morales co-created the Colombian drama thriller, which stars a Colombian ensemble of actors, including Juana Acosta, Manolo Cardona, Adriana Arango, and more.

Morales has written hundreds of episodes for various telenovelas, including La Diva, Loving Gloria, and Mentiras Perfectas. It's also not her first project in the suspense thriller genre with themes similar to Medusa, like revenge and family drama, as she has previously written Secretos de Familia and Her Mother's Killer. The latter was also a project he worked on with Chamie.

The two also worked together in writing Netflix's musical romance The Queen of Flow and other telenovelas like Los Secretos de Lucía, The White Slave, and Undercover Law.

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Medusa's Hidalgo family and Barranquilla's Char family drama

While Netflix claims that the Colombian series, which was filmed in Barranquilla, is fictional, some believe that the story is inspired by a real Barranquilla family. The controversy was fueled when a prominent Colombian lawyer publicly condemned the show and made some accusations that questioned the real origin of the show's plot line.

In a February 27, 2025, TikTok video, Colombian lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella condemned the new Netflix series, claiming that the story distorts reality and is trying to damage the reputation of a distinguished family in Barranquilla.

He further claimed that he took legal action to prevent its release, saying that under no circumstance would he allow it to go out. According to him, Medusa season 1's portrayal of a scandal-ridden elite family closely mirrors real-life people.

The video has been shared on social media and picked up by various Colombian outlets, including El Espectador. According to the outlet, people have associated the Hidalgo family in the story with the real-life Char family, who owns one of the most important Barranquilla companies.

Colombia One lists the Chars as one of the most powerful local family clans in the country, which is headed by their patriarch Fuad Char. He reportedly co-founded one of Colombia's biggest supermarket chains, Almacenes Olímpica, before resorting to politics.

From him being a senator from 1990 to 2014, his son Alejandro reportedly is now Barranquilla's mayor. Other members of the family are also into politics and the family also reportedly heads the football club Junior de Barranquilla. However, neither Netflix nor the Colombian series' creators have commented on the issue.

Colombia One also alluded in its March 5 article that de la Espriella's TikTok video could be a form of advertising strategy, sparking curiosity over the drama to get people to watch the series.

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All 12 episodes of Medusa season 1 are now streaming on Netflix.