The upcoming season of Ryan Murphy‘s American Crime Story focuses on the 1997 murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace, but the late designer’s partner of 15 years, Antonio D’Amico, isn’t too happy with what he’s seen from the show so far.
In an interview with The Guardian, D’Amico slammed the show’s portrayal of the designer’s murder, which occurred when Versace was shot dead outside his Miami Beach home. D’Amico will be portrayed by Rickey Martin in the upcoming anthology.
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“The picture of Ricky Martin holding the body in his arms is ridiculous,” he said, referring to an on-set photo of Martin covered in blood while holding Versace (Édgar Rarmirez)’s body. “Maybe it’s the director’s poetic licence, but that is not how I reacted.”
D’Amico later recalled the horrifying moment, which he said sent him into a long depression.
“I felt as if my blood had turned to ice,” he said. “The house had stained glass windows so we couldn’t see what had happened from inside, so we had to open the gate. I saw Gianni lying on the steps, with blood around him. At that point, everything went dark. I was pulled away, I didn’t see any more.”
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He also noted that the series appears to show Versace wanting to hide the fact that he was gay, but D’Amico said that was quite the opposite of the way the designer lived his life.
“We lived like a natural couple, there was never a problem,” he said. “It was the right moment for him to come out in public, but everyone involved in our world knew. He never tried to hide who he was.”
D’Amico added that he doesn’t plan to watch American Crime Story, but would be happy if Martin contacted him to learn more about his relationship with Versace.
“It’s getting to know the small things about a relationship,” he explained. “For example, Gianni was so ordered and focused at work but in his private life everything was disorganised.”
Photo Credit: Getty / Rose Hartman
