‘Final 24’: Did Gianni Versace's killer know him and what happened to his fashion empire after his death?
Gianni Versace was one of the biggest names in the fashion industry. Born Giovanni Maria Versace on December 2, he founded Versace, a luxury fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-up, home furnishings, and clothes. The brand also designs costumes for movies and top-notch Hollywood celebrities.
A close friend of Eric Clapton, Princess Diana, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Madonna, Elton John, Cher and Tupac Shakur, he introduced fashion into the music world. Along with his partner Antonio D'Amico, he was a hotshot on the party scene. However, his glamorous life was cut short when he was shot and killed outside his Miami Beach mansion at the age of 50 on July 15, 1997, at 8.45 am by a serial killer named Andrew Cunanan — who was dubbed as a crazy CS Lewis enthusiast.
That morning, Versace was on his way back home from a short walk to the News Café, where he bought his daily paper and some magazines. The designer wore casual shorts and a dark shirt with .200 in the pocket. As soon as he walked up the stairs of his 1116 Ocean Drive home, Cunanan approached him and shot him point-blank twice — in the centre of his face and then in his neck.
Cunanan ran from the scene and while a few witnesses tried to get hold of him, he fled the scene. Later, he was found dead on a houseboat two days later. Meanwhile, Gianni was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital and pronounced dead at 9.21 am.
The one question that remained etched in many minds after the tragedy was: Why did he kill Gianni Versace? Cunanan was on a killing spree that left five people dead on April 25, 1997. The first four victims were his friend Jeffrey Trail in Minneapolis, David Madson in Rush City, 72-year-old Lee Miglin and William Reese. Following the fourth murder, Cunanan led a low life, hid at cheap gay clubs and then finally took his own life after shooting Versace.
After Gianni's death, the mystery that puzzled investigators was whether Cunanan knew him. The 27-year-old reportedly met the fashion designer at a San Francisco night club and was allegedly obsessed about him, according to a 2008 Vanity Fair article. It is also believed that the two may have interacted further as both were allegedly involved in sex-for-hire circles in Miami and San Francisco. When probed, Versace's family denied that the two ever met. The police, however, could not find liable proof. "I don't know that we are ever going to know the answers," Miami Beach Police Chief Richard Barreto said at the time.
What happened to Gianni Versace's fashion empire? Reportedly, Versace's brother, Santo, took over as the new CEO and his sister, Donatella, became the new head of design. According to Versace's will, half of his empire was in the name of his niece, Allegra Versace — and she inherited her stake worth $500 million once she was 18. Not just that, she inherited Versace's rare artwork collection along with her brother, Daniel.
‘Final 24’ airs every Wednesday at 9 pm ET on AXS TV. More weekly episodes will feature the lives of several other iconic celebrities.