Gianni Versace’s Lover Blasts ‘Ridiculous’ Portrayal of Fashion Icon’s Death in ‘American Crime Story’

The former lover of famed fashion icon Gianni Versace, who died in 1997, is blasting the portrayal of the designer’s death in the latest installment of Ryan Murphy’s American Crime Story television series.

In an interview with The Guardian, Antonio D’Amico – Versace’s lover at the time of his death – said the first released pictures from the upcoming mini-series was ridiculous,” ridiculing it for not having a “trace of reality.”

“There has been so much written and said about the murder, and thousands of suppositions, but not a trace of reality,” D’Amico said.

“The picture of Ricky Martin holding the body in his arms is ridiculous,” D’Amico said. “Maybe it’s the director’s poetic licence, but that is not how I reacted.”

Murphy’s last installment of the American Crime Story series revolved around the events of the O.J. Simpson murder trial, garnering widespread praise from critics and viewers.

In that series, famed Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark was not consulted for the show, but praised it afterwards as being an accurate depiction of the inner workings of the “trial of the century.”

In D’Amico’s case, he also said he is not being consulted for the television series by Murphy, but did describe in detail to The Guardian what actually took place at the time of Versace’s death.

After hearing the gunshot that killed the designer outside of his Miami Beach, Florida home – known as the ‘Versace Mansion’ – D’Amico said he went outside with their butler to get a glimpse of what happened.

“I felt as if my blood had turned to ice,” D’Amico said. He and Versace’s butler went outside to investigate.

“The house had stained glass windows so we couldn’t see what had happened from inside, so we had to open the gate,” he continued. “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.”

Versace is considered one of the greatest fashion designers of the 20th century, being one of the first designers to use the fame of supermodels like Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer to sell his often bright and sexy fashions.

After Versace’s death, his sister Donatella Versace took over as creative director of the brand, renaming it to simply ‘Versace’ and moving it into the 21st century, making it known for its daring Italian roots. Versace remains one of the most recognizable fashion houses in popular culture.