The Versace family has issued a second statement over upcoming TV series The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.
From executive producer Ryan Murphy, the FX show will explore the murder of designer Gianni Versace by serial killer Andrew Cunanan in 1997, and features an ensemble cast including Edgar Ramirez as Gianni, Ricky Martin as his boyfriend Antonio D’Amico, and Penelope Cruz playing the designer’s sister Donatella Versace, as well as Darren Criss, Max Greenfield and Dascha Polanco.
On Monday (08Jan18), members of the Versace family released a statement claiming the program was unauthorized, and distanced themselves from the project once again on Wednesday.
“As we have said, the Versace family has neither authorized nor had any involvement whatsoever in the forthcoming TV series about the death of Mr. Gianni Versace, which should only be considered as a work of fiction,” they said.
The TV show is based on Maureen Orth’s 1999 book Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U. S. History, which was also unauthorized by the Versace family.
And in the statement, representatives for the Italian fashion powerhouse discredited aspects of the source material for the show, particularly regarding details of Gianni’s post-mortem records.
“The company producing the series claims it is relying on a book by Maureen Orth, but the Orth book itself is full of gossip and speculation. Orth never received any information from the Versace family and she has no basis to make claims about the intimate personal life of Gianni Versace or other family members,” the statement reads. “As just one example, Orth makes assertions about Gianni Versace’s medical condition based on a person who claims he reviewed a post-mortem test result, but she admits it would have been illegal for the person to have reviewed the report in the first place (if it existed at all).”
The statement concludes by noting that Gianni was a “brave and honest man” and that the family would have no further comment on the matter.
FX executives have rejected the Versace family’s criticism, explaining that they “stand by the meticulous reporting of Ms. Orth“.
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story is due to be released on 17 January (18).
