Lady Gaga fans are beside themselves with excitement ahead of the release of House Of Gucci, her latest movie, but not everyone knows the true crime story behind it.
Gaga won major critical acclaim for her previous starring role in A Star Is Born, and now she’s the leading lady in this fashion-filled, star-studded affair.
Joining her on-screen is Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Irons and Al Pacino. There’s so much talent it’ll be hard to know where to look.
Gaga plays the role of Patrizia Reggiani in the project, directed by Ridley Scott, and Adam Driver plays her former husband Maurizio Gucci.
So what is it about?
The original power couple
(Image: PA Images)
The film is based on Sara G Forden’s book ‘The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed’.
Patrizia Reggiani and Gucci heir Maurizio were married at the age of 24, in 1972, and they soon became one of the original power couples.
She told The Guardian: “We were a beautiful couple and we had a beautiful life, of course”.
(Image: Getty Images)
They had a luxury penthouse in Manhattan and spent their days mingling with celebrities and politicians, and Patrizia loved their life and all that came with it.
They had two daughters together, Alessandra and Allegra.
Patrizia was a fan of the high life and once said “I would rather weep in a Rolls-Royce than be happy on a bicycle”, according to The New York Times.
Gucci
(Image: PA Images)
Maurizio’s father, Rodolfo Gucci died in 1983, leaving his only child his stake in the impressive Gucci fortune.
He bought out the other 50% stake from his uncle and cousin after he felt the brand name was being ruined due to overproduction and licensing of the iconic double-G logo.
His home life took a turn for the worse – and Maurizio packed his bags and left one night, never returning to Patrizia and their girls.
Trouble in paradise
(Image: Getty Images)
Maurizio reconnected – and ultimately fell in love with- an old friend who was also in a troubled marriage Paola Franchi.
Reggiani raged at the time: “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,” she added.
Patrizia fumed: “He shouldn’t have done that to me.”
Maurizio’s death
(Image: Getty Images)
On March 27, 1995, Maurizio was killed in cold blood.
Giuseppe Onorato was the former doorman of Gucci’s building.
He was the only eyewitness of what happened, and told The Guardian: “Mr Gucci arrived carrying some magazines and said good morning. Then I saw a hand. It was a beautiful, clean hand, and it was pointing a gun.”
The gun fired three shots at Gucci, hitting him in the back as he climbed the steps, and a fourth into his head.
(Image: GC Images)
Onorato couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “I thought it was a joke. Then the shooter saw me. He lifted the gun again and fired two more times. ‘What a shame,’ I thought. ‘This is how I die.’”
He’d been shot twice in the arm, but managed to make his way over to the stricken Gucci: “I was cradling Mr Gucci’s head. He died in my arms.”
Suspicion
(Image: PA Images)
On that tragic day, there was a single word written in Patrizia’s diary: “Paradeisos”, or paradise.
Attention soon turned to Reggiani, as she had openly threatened to kill Maurizio after their split, but there was little in the way of proof.
It wasn’t until two years later in 1997 when police received a tip-off, and Reggiani and four others, including the hitman were arrested.
In 1998 she was convicted and sentenced to 29 years in prison for ordering the murder of her ex-husband.
Italian press dubbed her “Vedova Nera”, the Black Widow.
Release from prison
(Image: PA)
After serving 16 years of her sentence, Patrizia was released in 2014.
She was actually first offered a release in 2011, and the condition of her parole was to find a job.
According to the Guardian and Italian press, she turned down the offer because she hated the idea of working and told her lawyer: “I’ve never worked in my life and I don’t intend to start now.”
(Image: GC Images)
Throughout the entire trial she denied responsibility, claiming her best friend set her up.
Shortly after her release in 2014 she admitted her involvement to a visiting camera crew.
A reporter asked: “Patrizia, why did you hire a hitman to kill Maurizio Gucci? Why didn’t you shoot him yourself?”
“My eyesight is not so good,” she replied, “I didn’t want to miss.”
Friends insist her comment was a joke.
Patrizia now
(Image: Dave Benett/WireImage)
According to The Guardian, Reggiani won’t say out loud that she was in prison.
Instead, she insists on referring to her time in jail as “my stay at Vittore Residence.”
She has expressed her anger that Lady Gaga didn’t come to speak to her in person ahead of the role in House of Gucci.
She told Ansa, the Italian news agency: “I’m annoyed by the fact that Lady Gaga is portraying me in the new Ridley Scott film without even having the courtesy or the good sense to come and meet me,
(Image: GC Images)
“It’s nothing to do with money because I won’t be taking a single cent from the film. It’s about common sense and respect.”
She added: “I believe that any good actor should first get to know the person that they are meant to be playing,”
“I think it is not right that I wasn’t contacted. And I say this with all the sympathy and appreciation that I have for her.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
