June Hawkins Is the Real Inspirational Figure in ‘Griselda’

Admittedly, Netflix’s Griselda is a thrilling series. I already see the “support women’s rights (and wrongs)” meme pop up, especially when Sofia Vergara has done a stellar job at portraying the late Cocaine Queen, Griselda Blanco. But the real hero in Griselda is none other than June Hawkins.

Throughout the series, she’s undermined for being a woman in a male-dominated profession. She’s also the only Hispanic woman in her police department, which further alienates her from her white colleagues. Against all odds, June is able to prove that she’s a capable detective.

The Netflix series even suggests that June played a central role in Griselda’s arrest in real life. Reality isn’t far from fiction, because Detective June Hawkins is a real person who deserves recognition for cracking Griselda Blanco’s case.

In Griselda, Hawkins works on intelligence reports and is able to catch wind of a female drug dealer in Miami. In real life, she was able to put together a database that linked together different cases. This work was able to catch the attention of Washington, and it gave her team more resources as a result, according to Hawkins in a podcast interview.

There were artistic liberties taken with some scenes in Griselda, but the discrimination June faced was real. As unbelievable as it sounds, that one scene in Griselda where one of her perverted colleagues asked for the air conditioner to be turned up was based on real events.

Juliana Aidén Martinez, the actress who portrayed Hawkins, got to speak with her for hours. June Hawkins shared her story with Martinez, and they were able to connect through their experiences. Martinez herself was born and raised in Miami, and her parents worked in banks at the height of cartel activities.

Hawkins was considered a trailblazer, even if she believed that she simply did her job. She retired from law enforcement in 2004 and settled down with Alan Singleton, one of her former colleagues. Both June Hawkins and Alan Singleton became consultants for Griselda.

(featured image: Elizabeth Morris/Netflix)