Sean Penn's lawyers are working overtime to try to either block or re-edit a Netflix documentary that suggests he tipped off authorities as to El Chapo's location, leading to his arrest.
TMZ reported the documentary, titled "The Day I Met El Chapo: The Kate del Castillo Story," interviews several people who imply that the actor told authorities in advance about the clandestine meeting in Mexico in 2015.
Sean joined actress Kate del Castillo while traveling to a secret location to interview the drug kingpin for a Rolling Stone article. Sean and Kate have been at odds for years about the fallout of the interview.
The executive producer of the documentary, David Broome, is worried that pressure from Sean's team will stop production.
"My concern is that we are taking an immense amount of pressure from all directions related to Sean Penn and currently Netflix has done a great job of hanging tough — but their nerves are on edge," he said in an email obtained by TMZ. "I'm worried that there's a chance Netflix hits the brakes for a while."
El Chapo, who had been on the run after escaping prison, was captured three months after Sean's meeting.
Still, Sean and his team have been adamant that they did not tip off authorities at all.
"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," his rep said. "The notion that Mr. Penn or anyone on his behalf alerted DOJ to the trip is a complete fabrication and bald-faced lie. It never happened, nor would there have been any reason for it to have happened."
Sean's biggest fear in regards to the documentary is El Chapo's associates. The Oscar-winning actor said that if El Chapo's associates believe that he set him up for capture and alerted authorities, he and his family could be targets.