Ridley Scott Responds to Backlash From Real-Life Gucci Family For ‘House Of Gucci’

House of Gucci by Ridley Scott is on its way and has already faced some criticism from the real-life Gucci family. Based on the book, The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed by author Sara Gaya Forden. The movie sees the infiltration by Patrizia Reggiani of the Gucci family through her marriage to Maurizio Gucci. Being an outsider who aspires to impact the Italian brand, Reggiani tries to pit the family against each other – which she feels is the most effective way to realize her aspirations. However, in this process, Reggiani finds herself moving away from Maurizio, ultimately resorting to violence to keep her from losing control of the fashion industry.

House of Gucci Has A Star-Studded Cast

Ridley Scott was previously tapped to adapt the book in the mid-2000s, but the director moved ahead with the film in 2019, with Lady Gaga playing the lead role. The star-studded cast of House of Gucci consists of Adam Driver, Jeremy Irons, Jared Leto, Al Pacino, and Salma Hayek. Before the release of the film, members of the Gucci family came forward to speak against it, with Patrizia (Maurizio’s cousin) criticizing Scott for trying to profit off her family.

While appearing in a recent interview with BBC Radio 4 program, Scott brushed aside the real-family criticism. The director replies, in a rather assertive way that he doesn’t let himself immerse in such dialogues. He reminds all listeners that one Gucci was killed and another was jailed was evasion of tax, stating that all their privacy was already lost in the aftermath of these scandals.

Here’s what Scott Ridley 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.

This isn’t the first time we are getting to see criticism from the House of Gucci subjects. Reggiani has also voiced her dissatisfaction towards Lady Gaga for playing her in the film. Remember, this is the same lady who hired a hitman to kill her own husband. Later, Lady Gaga stated that she didn’t want any opinions from outside to affect her portrayal of Reggiani.

While we don’t disagree that the Guccis don’t have the right to feel upset about the film, they will not be the first ones in Hollywood to get pissed off with their own portrayals and now it’s totally up to the audiences to decide if they feel that Ridley’s film is exploitative or not. Moreover, given that Scott’s last film, “The Last Duel” was a box office failure, right now any press for the House of Gucci is probably good for the film.