‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ Slammed By Gianni Versace’s Family As ‘Fiction’
Ryan Murphy’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story covers more than just the story of the iconic fashion designer’s murder. The series also explores Gianni’s romance with Antonio D’Amico (Ricky Martin) and his relationship with sister Donatella (Penelope Cruz). While the series tackles a lot of different issues, the Versace family recently slammed the show for its portrayal of Gianni and his shocking death.
Versace Family Blasts Show
According to Entertainment Weekly, the fashion family recently released a statement condemning Murphy’s creation. The family revealed that they did not work with Murphy on the show and told fans that the depictions in the series are nothing but fiction.
“The Versace family has neither authorized nor had any involvement whatsoever in the forthcoming TV series about the death of Mr. Gianni Versace,” the family explained in a recent statement. “Since Versace did not authorize the book on which it is partly based, nor has it taken part in the writing of the screenplay, this TV series should only be considered as a work of fiction.”
What Is The Assassination Of Gianni Versace About?
Murphy’s new season of American Crime Story is based on Maureen Orth’s book, Vulgar Favors. The show begins with Gianni’s (Edgar Ramirez) murder but then explores his complex relationships with family and longtime partner, played by Ricky Martin.
According to TV Guide, the series also explores murderer Andrew Cunanan’s (Darren Criss) led and what led to his decision to kill Gianni. Murphy and 20th Century Fox have not commented on the Versace family’s recent statement.
Penelope Cruz Worked With Versace Family
While the Versace family made it clear that they didn’t help out with Murphy’s series, Penelope Cruz revealed that she consulted Donatella before taking the part. The actress explained how she had an important conversation with Gianni’s sister prior to production that helped her understand the family dynamics. Cruz also praised Donatella for giving her advice and admitted that she loves and respects her.
Ramirez Opens Up About Role
As far as Ramirez is concerned, the actor recently opened up about what it was like portraying Gianni on the small screens. Ramirez explained how the show explores a lot of issues that were at the forefront of society at the time of Gianni’s death, including homophobia and the HIV crisis. While the series centers of the murder of Gianni, Ramirez revealed that Murphy wanted to address the gay prejudice in society and everything that led to Gianni’s death.
Murphy’s Series Goes Beyond Gianni’s Assassination
According to Variety, one of the central issues with Gianni’s murder is how the police mishandled the entire case. Before assassinating Gianni in his Florida mansion, Cunanan had murdered five different people, four of them members of the gay community. This includes Lee Miglin (Mike Farrell), Jeffrey Trail (Finn Wittrock) and David Madson (Cody Fern), all of whom are featured in Murphy’s series.
Because most of the deaths involved gay men, the police department reportedly neglected the case and could have prevented Gianni’s murder altogether — a fact not lost on Murphy and company.
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story is set to premiere on January 17 on FX.
