What Life Is Like For Patrizia Reggiani Today
The latest stylish photos of Lady Gaga and Adam Driver in the Italian Alps, which Vogue called "glorious," show the pair shooting the upcoming Ridley Scott biopic House of Gucci. Lady Gaga will play the "Black Widow" Patrizia Reggiani in the new film, which will cover the murder of Reggiani's husband Maurizio Gucci. But where is the real-life Italian socialite now?
According to Harper's Bazaar, Reggiani was known as the "Liz Taylor of luxury labels." She was born near Milan and married the Gucci heir in 1972, becoming a chief adviser to his family's luxury brand. The fairytale couple's happiness didn't last, however, as Gucci abandoned her in 1985 and their divorce proceedings dragged out over a decade. The heir then lost millions and was eventually forced to sell the company, infuriating Reggiani.
"I was angry with Maurizio about many, many things at that time," she told The Guardian in 2016. "But above all, this. Losing the family business. It was stupid. It was a failure. I was filled with rage, but there was nothing I could do. He shouldn't have done that to me."
As Forbes reported, Gucci was shot by an unknown gunman on March 27, 1995. Two years later, an anonymous tip-off led police to discover that Reggiani had hired a hitman and three accomplices, including her personal psychic, in a plot to murder him. Despite the socialite maintaining her innocence, she was sentenced to 29 years in prison.
Patrizia Reggiani reluctantly got a job after prison
As Forbes reported, Patrizia Reggiani had a difficult transition from the lap of luxury to prison life.
After her sentence was cut short for good behavior, Reggiani was offered a work-release program. She initially turned down the Italian courts in 2011, per Vogue, stating, "I've never worked in my life, and I don't intend to start now." In 2014, however, Reggiani finished her 16 years in prison and began working as a design consultant for the costume jewelry firm Bozart.
According to Forbes, the former socialite was employed by Bozart for three years and would regularly reminisce about old memories with her colleagues. Reggiani still caused controversy in the public eye, however. Per Harper's Bazaar, when a TV crew asked her why she hired a hitman, she quipped, "My eyesight is not so good. I didn't want to miss."
Her life since the end of the work program in 2017 has been complicated by legal battles. As Forbes reported, Reggiani has fought off financial claims from those involved in the shooting as well as her own daughters. She has also repeatedly expressed a wish to return to the Gucci brand.
Reggiani recently told reporters that she was annoyed Lady Gaga hadn't tried to meet her before shooting the upcoming film, per People. "It's nothing to do with money because I won't be taking a single cent from the film. It's about common sense and respect," she argued.