The descendants of Aldo Gucci, who served as head of the Gucci design firm from 1953 to 1986, have issued a statement claiming they are "a little disturbed" by their portrayal in Ridley Scott's film "House of Gucci."
"The film's production did not care to contact the heirs before characterizing Aldo Gucci — the company's president for 30 years [played by Al Pacino in the film] — and the Gucci family as bullies, stupid and oblivious to the world around them," according to the statement.
The film also assigns "a tone and an attitude to the protagonists of well-known events that never belonged to them," according to the press release.
"This is excruciatingly sad from a human standpoint and an insult to the brand's current legacy," it said.
The statement goes on to criticize how Patrizia Reggiani (played by Lady Gaga in the film), who was convicted in 1998 of facilitating the murder of Maurizio Gucci (played by Adam Driver), "is portrayed not only in the film, but also in statements from cast members, as a victim trying to survive in a male and male chauvinist corporate culture."
"This could not be further from the truth," the statement continues, claiming that the Gucci company was "an inclusive organization" during the 70-year period when it was a family business.
According to the statement, "there were several women who held high roles" at Gucci throughout the 1980s, whether they were family members or not, including the president of Gucci America, the head of Global PR and communications, and a member of the Gucci America company's board of directors.
"Gucci is a family that lives honoring its ancestors' work, whose memory does not deserve to be disturbed to stage an untrue spectacle that does not do justice to its protagonists," the statement concluded, adding that "the members of the Gucci family reserve the right to take action to protect their name, image, and dignity, as well as the names, images, and dignity of their loved ones."
According to an inside source, despite the tone of the statement, the Gucci family has taken no legal action against Scott's Scott Free shingle and Universal at this time.
The Gucci family is concerned about the publication of the film "House of Gucci," since, while the work purports to depict the "real tale" of the family, the concerns expressed by the trailers and interviews released thus far have been confirmed: the film follows a narrative that is far from accurate.
Before depicting Aldo Gucci, the company's president for 30 years, and members of the Gucci family as bullies who are stupid and insensitive to the environment, the film's producers did not contact the heirs, They were oblivious to the world around them, attributing events, a tone, and an attitude to the characters that never belonged to them.
Even more objectionable is the reconstruction, which becomes mystifying almost to the point of paradox when it comes to suggesting an indulgent tone towards a woman who, despite being definitively convicted of being the instigator of Maurizio Gucci's murder, is painted as a victim who was trying to survive in a masculine and macho corporate culture, not only in the film but also in the statements made by cast members.
This is the furthest thing from the truth, Furthermore, Gucci has been an inclusive corporation throughout its 70-year history as a family enterprise. Indeed, in the 1980s – the historical period in which the film is set – women held a number of high-ranking roles, including the president of Gucci America, the Head of Global PR & Communication, and a member of the board of directors of Gucci America, whether they were family members or not.
Gucci is a family that lives in honor of its forefathers' labor, and their memory does not deserve to be sullied by the production of a film that isn't real and doesn't do justice to its protagonists.
Members of the Gucci family reserve the right to defend the brand name.
