The Truth About Patrizia Reggiani And Maurizio Gucci's Relationship
Celebrity power couples are no strangers to the spotlight, and perhaps this is why so many try to maintain such a perfect façade. But in some cases, seemingly content couples are hiding the dark and turbulent reality of their relationship. Perhaps one of the most famous examples of this is the infamous high-fashion power couple Maurizio Gucci and Patrizia Reggiani, also known as Lady Gucci.
Although she continues to deny her crime, Reggiani was imprisoned for organizing the murder of her ex-husband after the evidence pointed to her as the culprit. With Reggiani now released from prison and Lady Gucci: The Story of Patrizia Reggiani set to air on March 20 via Discovery+, interest in the pair's relationship is again surging. In particular, one question lingers in the minds of observers: Why did Reggiani hire a hitman to kill her ex-husband?
While speaking to The Guardian, Reggiani said the pair's relationship took a turn in 1983 following the death of Gucci's father Rodolfo, which she said turned him "crazy" and sparked bitter family battles over ownership of the family company.
Elsewhere, Yahoo! Movies pointed to 1985 as a turning point after Gucci left Reggiani on an alleged business trip that turned out to be a permanent stay with a younger woman, Paola Franchi. To add insult to injury, Gucci went on to sell the family company after a period of mismanagement that fueled the disintegration of his personal fortune — a move that allegedly upset his former wife.
Reggiani held on to bitterness toward her former flame
The young love that drew Gucci and Reggiani together was long gone by the time the pair were officially divorced after more than a decade of bitter legal battles, Forbes reported. Instead, the passion that drove their early bliss became fuel for resentment — at least for Reggiani, who People noted was ultimately left to care for their two daughters.
The resentment that culminated in murder showed signs of danger before Gucci's assassination. During a phone message played during the trial that put Reggiani behind bars, the Italian socialite is heard engaged in an emotional rant directed at her former husband — who she called a "deformed outgrowth" — that included some eerily foreboding words.
"For you, hell is yet to come," she said.
Ultimately, the resentment turned into an obsession that led her to order the murder of her husband. According to Forbes, Reggiani spoke of her plans on multiple occasions in the days and weeks leading up to the killing.