Virginia Vallejo Opens Up on Her Secret Affair With Pablo Escobar: “I Didn’t Conquer Pablo; Pablo Conquered Me”

 

Former Colombian journalist and television presenter Virginia Vallejo has opened up about her past relationship with notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar, describing their affair as passionate, complicated, and ultimately one of her biggest regrets.

Vallejo, now 75, revealed that she first met Escobar in 1982 at his lavish Hacienda Nápoles estate in Medellín, where he swept her off her feet with what she described as “sweet and cheesy words.”

“I didn’t conquer Pablo; Pablo conquered me,” she admitted. “I knew he was married, and we agreed that our relationship would be completely secret. We always met alone, usually at the Hacienda or in his penthouse apartment.”

At the time, Vallejo was in a relationship with Aníbal Turbay, nephew of then-President Julio César Turbay, and still married to Argentine producer David Stevel. She claims Escobar played a direct role in helping her finalize her divorce, even “threatening” her husband to ensure it went through.

Despite Escobar’s reputation as one of the most feared cocaine kingpins in history, Vallejo said she initially overlooked his criminal empire, believing in his promise to “lift Medellín out of poverty.”

“He saved my life, cancelled my debts, sent me a thousand orchids, and divorced me from a bastard,” she said. “I was never Pablo Escobar’s lover; I was one of his lovers, and he was one of mine. We had a relationship on equal terms.”

Vallejo fondly recalled the nicknames Escobar gave her — first “my little panther” and later “my clean soul” — symbols of their changing bond as their affair evolved.

Reflecting on their time together, Vallejo confessed she still carries one regret: “He once asked me, ‘What do you want?’ and I said, ‘I don’t want anything, Pablo,’ like an idiot. I should have asked him for everything.”