Penelope Cruz talks relationship of journalist, Pablo Escobar in new movie

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- "Loving Pablo" tells the story of how Colombia's most famous TV newswoman, Virginia Vallejo, became involved in a passionate love affair with notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar.

The movie is based on her book, "Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar," and Penelope Cruz plays Vallejo.

At some point, what was passionate becomes dangerous.

"If you're going to talk about Pablo Escobar, you don't want to do something glamourous or you don't want to justify what that character did. You have to tell things the way they are," Cruz said. "This is the first film that shows Pablo Escobar through the eyes of someone that really knew him, and she spent 10 years in that relationship. When she wanted to get out, it was too late and she almost lost her life in that relationship."

Cruz's husband, Javier Bardem, plays Escobar in the movie. At the height of Escobar's career, his cartel supplied an estimated 80 percent of the cocaine smuggled into the U.S. He died in 1993.

Vallejo now lives in Florida.

"Her life has been marked forever, that's what she says," Cruz said.

"Loving Pablo" is in theaters and on digital and on-demand.