Pablo Escobar is back on the news, but this time is not because of his hippos. This time is because of 90s rap icon Vanilla Ice, who during a recent interview with VladTV shared laugh-filled and seemingly humorous anecdotes about his alleged interactions with the infamous Colombian drug lord.
Escobar's son, Juan Pablo Escobar Henao, came out to call the whole story a lie. In a social media post, the anti-drug activist also said he has a theory of why Vanilla Ice is telling his tales now.
Pablo Escobar in Star Island
In a light-hearted tone, Ice recounted how Escobar and his associates, referred to as the 'Cocaine Cowboys', frequented his Star Island home. "They would land helicopters at my house constantly," he said. "I would have food just for them in the refrigerators. I had my maids and everybody clean up after they left," the rapper said.
He fondly remembered being whisked away to high-profile events, including boat races, and being surrounded by a lively atmosphere filled with bikinis and excitement. Aware of the Escobar's passion for competition, Ice once boasted that his fortified Porsche could outgun the Colombian's prized Ferrari Testarossa. "I smoked him," Ice reminisced with pride.
"Pablo was a great person in person — this sounds ridiculous," he laughed. "First of all, I had no Google. You don't go up to people and go, 'What do you do for a living?' I have no idea," he said. "I didn't know who these people were. I thought they were businessmen. They liked to race boats like I did," he added as an excuse for affiliating with a criminal.
Pablo Escobar's son disagrees
Ice's story took a turn when Juan Pablo Escobar Henao, Escobar's son, who often speaks about the complex era of his father's reign in Colombia, publicly refuted the stories.
Escobar Henao expressed skepticism about Vanilla Ice's accounts in a series of social media posts, suggesting that they were fabrications aimed at gaining media attention.
"There are people who make up anything to be in the media. My father wasn't friends with this man," he wrote.
Hay personas que inventan cualquier cosa. Con tal de salir en los medios. Mi padre no fue amigo de este señor. https://t.co/QjlxaHhM75
— Juan Pablo Escobar Henao (@sebasmarro) December 7, 2023
While Escobar Henao was a child when Vanilla Ice lived in Star Island, the timing of the whole story may prove him right. According to the New York Times archives, Ice bought his mansion in 1991. That year, Escobar was in the infamous prison La Catedral. He later escaped from it and spent the rest of his life in hiding. Pablo Escobar died on December 2, 1993.
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