Gucci family releases scathing statement, says 'House of Gucci' is 'far from accurate'

Heirs to the late Aldo Gucci have submitted their House of Gucci review.

Let's just say it's far from five stars.

In a statement originally published by Italian news agency ANSA, then obtained and translated to English by Variety, the family said Ridley Scott's film adaptation "carries a narrative that is far from accurate" and especially takes offense to how Aldo and other Gucci family members are portrayed "as thugs, ignorant and insensitive to the world around them, attributing to the protagonists, events, a tone and an attitude that never belonged to them."

House of Gucci is officially described as "inspired by the shocking true story of the family empire behind the Italian fashion house of Gucci. Spanning three decades of love, betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately murder, we see what a name means, what it’s worth, and how far a family will go for control."

More specifically, the premise centers around Patrizia Reggiani's (Lady Gaga) romance with Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), grandson of Gucci founder Guccio Gucci and nephew to Aldo Gucci (Al Pacino). After their marriage, Patrizia encourages an initially hesitant and disinterested Maurizio to take over the company from Aldo and Paolo Gucci (Jared Leto), Aldo's son and Maurizio's cousin. This conflict leads to divorce, and in March 1995, Maurizio was shot and killed by a hitman hired by Reggiani and her psychic, Pina Auriemma (Salma Hayek). Reggiani was convicted in 1998 and served time in prison until her 2016 release.

This is not the first time the Gucci family has spoken out against the film, as a denouncing statement was given to The Associated Press by Patrizia Gucci on behalf of the family in April. Reggiani has also publicly expressed displeasure over Lady Gaga "portraying me in the new Ridley Scott film without even having the courtesy of the good sense to come and meet me" (h/t People).

House of Gucci debuted in theaters last Wednesday (Nov. 24) and drew $21.8 million at the box office over Thanksgiving weekend, the highest opening tally for a drama in two years.

Read the latest scathing statement in full below, courtesy of Variety.

The Gucci family takes note of the release of the film House of Gucci and is a bit disconcerted because, although the work claims to want to tell the “true story” of the family, the fears raised by the trailers and interviews released so far, are confirmed: the film carries a narrative that is far from accurate.

"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, attributing to the protagonists, events, a tone and an attitude that never belonged to them. This is extremely painful from a human point of view and an insult to the legacy on which the brand is built today.

"Even more objectionable is the reconstruction that becomes mystifying almost to the point of paradox when gets to the point of suggesting an indulgent tone towards a woman who, definitively convicted of having been the instigator of the murder of Maurizio Gucci, is painted not only in the film, but also in the statements made by cast members, as a victim who was trying to survive in a masculine and macho corporate culture.

"This couldn’t be further from the truth. Moreover, over the course of it 70-year history during which it was a family business, Gucci was an inclusive company. Indeed, precisely in the 1980s – the historical context in which the film is set – women were in several top positions: whether they were members of the family or extraneous to it, these included the president of Gucci America, the Head of Global PR & Communication, and a member of the board of directors of Gucci America.

"Gucci is a family that lives honoring the work of its ancestors, whose memory does not deserve to be disturbed to stage a film that is not true and that does not do justice to its protagonists. The members of the Gucci family reserves every right to protect the name, image and the dignity of their loved ones."