Versace family hasn't authorised 'American Crime Story' TV murder series

American Crime Story's latest season dramatises violent death of Versace in a shooting at his Miami mansion in 1997

The producer of an upcoming American TV series about the murder of designer Gianni Versace has defended the show from criticism, saying the family is treated “with respect and kindness.”

The Versace company said in a statement issued in Italy on Monday that the series was “an act of fiction” given that it was based on Maureen Orth’s 1999 book Vulgar Favors. It said it “did not authorise and was not involved in the television series.”

PHOTO: DEADLINE

"The Versace family has neither authorised nor had any involvement whatsoever in the forthcoming TV series about the death of Mr Gianni Versace. Since Versace did not authorise the book on which it is partly based nor it has taken part in the writing of the screenplay, this TV series should only be considered as a work of fiction," read an official statement.

What the family thinks about The Assassination of Gianni Versace seemingly didn't affect the relationship between the current Vice President of the Versace Group, as well as its chief designer, Donatella Versace, says Penelope Cruz, who plays her on the series.

PHOTO: E ONLINE

On January 7 at the 75th Annual Golden Globes Awards, Cruz said, "When Ryan told me, I said to him, 'This sounds really interesting, but I have to make this call and I have to talk to Donatella'. I called her and we spoke, like, for an hour. I needed that conversation to say 'yes'.

"It was a conversation where, I cannot share everything we talked about, but we have a good relationship."

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story dramatises the violent death of Versace in a shooting at his Miami mansion in 1997.

Executive producer Ryan Murphy told Hollywood trade publication Variety at a Los Angeles event that Versace’s sister, Donatella, sent Cruz flowers when Cruz was representing the series at the Golden Globes ceremony on Sunday.

PHOTO: ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Edgar Ramirez plays Gianni Versace in the nine-part series by Twenty-First Century Fox Inc’s FX cable network that will start broadcasting on Jan 17. Donatella is artistic director and vice president of the privately held fashion company.

“I don’t know if she (Donatella) is going to watch the show, but if she did I think that she would see that we treat her and her family with respect and kindness,” Murphy told Variety on Tuesday night.

“She really is a feminist role model in my book, because she had to step into an impossible situation, which she did with grace and understanding. I think that she really loves Penelope and knows that Penelope would never do anything to represent her in a negative light,” Murphy said.

PHOTO: E ONLINE

Screenwriter Tom Rob Smith said the series aimed to be truthful in its spirit, even if it gets some details wrong.

“The show is full of love for him (Versace),” Smith said. “I‘m sure there are points where (the family) could correct some of the smaller details, but I think the bigger picture is that this is a figure that we’re celebrating and a figure that we all fell in love with.”

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.