Gucci family slams Ridley Scott's 'House Of Gucci' and hints at legal action: 'This is extremely painful from a human point of view'
- The Gucci family has released a statement slamming Ridley Scott's "House of Gucci."
- The statement criticizes the filmmakers for not consulting with the heirs of the fashion dynasty.
The surviving family members of the Gucci fashion dynasty have described Ridley Scott's "House of Gucci" as inaccurate and insulting in a lengthy and scathing response to the film's release.
In a statement issued on Monday, the heirs of Aldo Gucci – who was chairman of the fashion house from 1953 to 1986 and is portrayed by Al Pacino in Scott's film — said they were "disconcerted" by the film's inaccuracies as well as the lack of consultation with the filmmakers.
"The production of the film did not bother to consult the heirs before describing Aldo Gucci – president of the company for 30 years – and the members of the Gucci family as thugs, ignorant and insensitive to the world around them," read the statement, first published by the Italian news agency ANSA.
The statement continued to state that the film is "extremely painful from a human point of view" and an "insult to the legacy on which the brand is built today."
The statement goes on to specifically criticize the portrayal of Patrizia Reggiani — an Italian socialite who was convicted for hiring a hitman to kill her ex-husband Maurizio Gucci and spent 18 years in prison. The family said Reggiani is "indulged" in the film as "a victim trying to survive in a male and male chauvinist corporate culture."
"This couldn't be further from the truth," the statement read. "Over the course of its 70-year history during which it was a family business, Gucci was an inclusive company."
The statement continued to say that this view had been reinforced by statements from cast members.
In a recent interview with British Vogue, Lady Gaga — who portrays Patrizia Reggiani in the film — said she did not wish to "glorify somebody that would commit murder" with her performance as Reggiani, but she instead wanted to "pay respect to women throughout history who became experts at survival."
"I hope that women will watch this and remind themselves to think twice about the fact that hurt people hurt people. And it's dangerous," she told the magazine. "What happens to somebody when they're pushed over the edge?"
The Gucci family statement concluded by hinting that they could explore legal action, saying that the heirs of the fashion dynasty "reserve the right to take action to protect the name, image, and dignity of themselves and their loved ones."
This isn't the first time that members of the Gucci family have criticized Scott's biopic. Earlier this year, Patrizia Gucci, the daughter of Aldo Gucci, accused Scott of "stealing the identity of a family to make a profit, to increase the income of the Hollywood system."
Ridley Scott has continually dismissed the criticism. Speaking to BBC Radio 4 earlier this year, he said: "I don't engage with that. 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."