Here's the Wild True Story Behind "House of Gucci"

The Gucci family isn't exactly happy about the new film.

House of Gucci has already blessed us with glamorous photos, an epic trailer and top-tier memes. (Honestly, how could anyone forget the image of Lady Gaga feeding Adam Driver?). 

While it's easy to be distracted by pics of Driver wearing a fluffy turtleneck or how creepy Jared Leto looks in the trailer, it's important to remember that House of Gucci is actually based on a true story. 

And it's a wild one, so prepare to sip some major tea. 

The movie—directed by Ridley Scott—is based on a 2001 book by journalist Sara Gay Forden titled The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed. 

Lady Gaga stars as Patrizia Reggiani, the glamorous socialite who was charged in 1998 with arranging the murder of her husband Maurizio Gucci (Driver) and sentenced to 29 years in prison (yep, you read that correctly).

So, what exactly went down? Here's what you need to know.

What's the story behind House of Gucci? 

Look, there's a lot here, so we'll try and be somewhat brief.

Maurizio Gucci—grandson of Gucci founder Guccio Gucci and heir to their fashion house—was one of Italy's wealthiest men before he was killed at 46-years-old on the carpeted foyer of his office in 1995.

But before we get into that, let's go back a little bit.

Patrizia met Maurizio at a party after networking her way into the upper ranks of Milan's social circuit, and the couple were married in 1973. From there, Patrizia became chief adviser for Maurizio on Gucci matters, and the pair had two daughters, Alessandra and Allegra.

Following 12 years of marriage in 1985, Maurizio informed Patrizia he was going away for a business trip. However, he never returned home. It was revealed that he had been living with girlfriend Paola Franchi for five years before he was killed.

Still with us? Bravo! 

Things went even more downhill in 1993, when Maurizio decided to sell his Gucci shares to Investcorp for $US120 million after the company lost millions under his control.

Here's the thing: Patrizia was not happy about it, considering she'd been involved with the brand throughout her time with Maurizio. 

In fact, she was so unhappy that she voiced her desire to have Maurizio killed.

"I was angry with Maurizio about many, many things at that time," she told The Guardian in 2016. 

"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. He shouldn't have done that to me." 

As we've already established, Maurizio was then shot dead by a hitman in 1995, with Patrizia being the first suspect.

What was the trial like? 

While authorities suspected Patrizia from the beginning, she wasn't arrested until January 1997. A year later, she was convicted of arranging his murder.

During the trial, it came to light that Patrizia had four accomplices that carried out the murder including a hitman, a getaway driver, her former friend and psychic, Pina Auriemma (who confessed to arranging the hitman), and Auriemma's friend who set up the hitman.

Patrizia expressed that she was worried Maurizio would marry Franchi and disinherit their daughters.

Despite claiming thast she was innocent and blackmailed by Auriemma, she was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to 29 years in prison.

In 2000, a Milan appeals court upheld the conviction but reduced her sentence to 26 years.

Patrizia turned down her first offer to be released from prison in 2011 after she was informed she'd have to work. Instead, she went free in October 2016 after serving 18 years behind bars.

Why is the Gucci family unhappy about the movie?

It's safe to say we're all obsessing over the trailer, however, the Gucci family isn't quite as thrilled about the project.

As reported by the Associated Press, the great-grandchildren of Gucci have made an appeal to Scott, asking him to respect the legacy of the fashion house.

One of Maurizio's second cousins told the publication that they're "truly disappointed" in the flick.

"They are stealing the identity of a family to make a profit, to increase the income of the Hollywood system... Our family has an identity, privacy. We can talk about everything, but there is a borderline that cannot be crossed." 

And now you're up to speed! *Exhales deeply.* 

House of Gucci lands in Australian cinemas on 25 November 2021. 

Header Image: MGM