The Real Gucci Family Has Something To Say About House Of Gucci
On March 27, 1995, Maurizio Gucci was shot dead in front of his office in Milan, Italy. His assassination was ordered by his ex-wife, Patrizia Reggiani, who had pent-up anger toward him. In an interview with The Guardian in 2016, Reggiani stated, "I was angry with Maurizio about many, many things at that time. But above all, this. Losing the family business. It was stupid. It was a failure. I was filled with rage, but there was nothing I could do." Reggiani, along with four other people, was arrested for the crime. She was sentenced to 29 years in prison but was released after serving 16 years under the condition of getting a job.
The story of Gucci's murder is the subject of the Ridley Scott-directed film titled "House of Gucci." The movie features big stars, such as Salma Hayek, Al Pacino, Jared Leto, and Jeremy Irons, with Lady Gaga and Adam Driver in the roles of Reggiani and Gucci, respectively (via MGM). Since the movie's announcement, the remaining members of the Gucci family have expressed their concern about the portrayal of their family members as well as the depiction of the tragedy that they experienced. When the movie debuted, the Guccis released an official statement regarding their issues about the film.
The Gucci family's statement
According to the statement provided by the Guccis, they were not consulted regarding the movie, particularly about the portrayal of Aldo Gucci (Al Pacino), who served as the company's president for three decades. They also said that the Guccis were depicted "as thugs, ignorant and insensitive to the world around them," as reported by Variety. More importantly, the family has a problem with Patrizia Reggiani being portrayed as the victim in the movie when it was she who ordered the hit on Maurizio Gucci. "To see her portrayed as a victim — not only in the film but also in statements by the cast — who is trying to survive in a male-dominated corporate culture, is an injustice and could not be further from the truth," the statement further noted, per The New York Times.
Reggiani, on the other hand, shared her displeasure with Lady Gaga for not getting in touch with her. In March 2021, Reggiani told Italian news agency ANSA, "I am rather annoyed at the fact that Lady Gaga is playing me in the new Ridley Scott film without having had the consideration and sensibility to come and meet me."
Ridley Scott and Lady Gaga's responses
Director Ridley Scott had been aware of the accusations the Guccis have been throwing at him since the announcement of the movie. In one instance, one Gucci family member commented that Scott was "stealing the identity" of her family in order to make money. As a response, Scott told BBC Radio that he doesn't want to respond to the accusations and added, "You have to remember that one Gucci was murdered and another went to jail for tax evasion, so you can't be talking to me about making a profit. As soon as you do that you become part of the public domain" (via Variety).
Lady Gaga noted that she never had an interest in meeting Patrizia Reggiani. As she said in an interview with British Vogue, it was her way of portraying the character and doing the story justice in her own way, and not with Reggiani's influence. "... Nobody was going to tell me who Patrizia Gucci was. Not even Patrizia Gucci," she said.