--- description: Versace, the company founded by slain designer Gianni Versace, distanced itself from the upcoming installment of FX’s American Crime Story. title: Versace Calls 'American Crime Story' Series on Gianni Versace Murder a ‘Work of Fiction’ image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte3e257cd38e16929/6988f76a929fad0694bef214/gianni-versace.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Television](/tag/television/) ## Television Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Versace Calls _American Crime Story_ Series on Gianni Versace Murder a ‘Work of Fiction’  by [Melissa Chan](/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 12, 2023 11:04 PM CUTPublished: Jan 8, 2018 6:36 PM CUT  Designer Gianni Versace appearing at fashion show. (Photo by Time Life Pictures/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) Designer Gianni Versace appearing at fashion show. (Photo by Time Life Pictures/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)Time Life Pictures—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  by [Melissa Chan](/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 12, 2023 11:04 PM CUTPublished: Jan 8, 2018 6:36 PM CUT Versace, the luxury fashion company founded by slain designer [Gianni Versace](http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,986747-6,00.html "undefined"), distanced itself Monday from the [upcoming installment](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYGq%5Fqc-hWY "undefined") of FX’s popular television series, _American Crime Story_, which focuses on the fashion icon’s murder two decades ago. The company said the Versace family — including Donatella Versace, who took over the brand after her brother’s death in 1997 — did not authorize or have any involvement in [_The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story._](http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/american-crime-story "undefined") “Since Versace did not authorize the book on which it is partly based nor has it taken part in the writing of the screenplay, this TV series should only be considered as a work of fiction,” Versace said in a statement obtained by TIME. [Gianni Versace was shot and killed](http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19970728,00.html "undefined") in front of [his Miami Beach mansion](http://time.com/money/5084648/the-mansion-where-gianni-versace-was-assassinated-is-now-a-luxury-hotel/ "undefined") on July 15, 1997, after returning home from a morning trip to a local café, authorities said. About a week later, his suspected killer, [Andrew Cunanan](http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,138062,00.html "undefined"), shot himself to death on a boat house, about two miles away from Versace’s home. In response to Versace’s statement, FX said its second season is based off author Maureen Orth’s book about Cunanan’s crime spree, _Vulgar Favors_. “We stand by the meticulous reporting of Ms. Orth,” the network said. [The latest _American Crime Story_](http://time.com/5061586/new-tv-series-2018/ "undefined") series premieres Jan. 17 and stars Darren Criss, Penelope Cruz and Ricky Martin. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5093342/versace-american-crime-story-statement/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5093342/versace-american-crime-story-statement/"},"headline":"Versace Calls American Crime Story Series on Gianni Versace Murder a ‘Work of Fiction’","datePublished":"2018-01-08T18:36:13.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-12T23:04:57.000Z","description":"The company said it did not authorize the series","url":"https://time.com/5093342/versace-american-crime-story-statement/","keywords":["Television","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte3e257cd38e16929/6988f76a929fad0694bef214/gianni-versace.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Chan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte3e257cd38e16929/6988f76a929fad0694bef214/gianni-versace.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Gianni Versace","caption":"Gianni Versace","creditText":"Time Life Pictures—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/television/","name":"Television"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5093342/versace-american-crime-story-statement/","name":"Versace Calls American Crime Story Series on Gianni Versace Murder a ‘Work of Fiction’"}}]}] ```