Ricky Martin Says Winning an Award for ‘Assassination of Gianni Versace’ Would Mean ‘The World’
The actor opened up about his husband, kids and buzzworthy role on the FX drama series at a FYC event in Los Angeles on Monday. | 20 March 2018
Tag: entertainment tonight
Barbra Streisand Reveals What She Really Thinks of Lady Gaga’s ‘A Star Is Born’ Remake
Streisand had no trouble, however, judging TV shows – including Murphy’s newest American Crime Story series, The Assassination of Gianni Versace.
“I binge-watched your show last night, Gianni Versace, but it’s very scary to me. I have to go fast,” she adorably revealed. “I like the parts with Penelope Cruz and Edgar Ramirez [who play Donatella and Gianni Versace, respectively], but I don’t like [Andrew Cunanan, whom Darren Criss plays]. He’s so good that it’s so awful.”
“Oh, this poor individual. Is any of this true stuff about him?” she asked Murphy, who replied with a resounding “Yes!” as the audience chuckled.
“That poor older guy he was with!” she remarked.
“Barbra, why did you watch that?” asked Murphy. “That’s not for you!”
Barbra Streisand Reveals What She Really Thinks of Lady Gaga’s ‘A Star Is Born’ Remake
David Furnish ‘Deeply Dissapointed’ By ‘Completely Inaccurate’ HIV Comments From ‘Assassination Of Gianni Versace’ Producer
David Furnish is taking issue with some remarks made by Brad Simpson, an executive producer on FX drama “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” regarding the choice to depict the slain fashion designer as HIV-positive in the fact-based series (whether Versace was or wasn’t HIV-positive isn’t known).
During an interview with NPR on Wednesday, Simpson commented on the creative decision to depict Versace as carrying the HIV virus.
“This was a time in which HIV was still a death sentence,” said Simpson, “it was killing thousands and thousands of gay men, and we personally don’t think there’s any stigma anymore to having HIV.”
Upon hearing Simpson’s comments, David Furnish felt compelled to issue a statement in his capacity as chairman of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
“I was deeply disappointed by comments made by Brad Simpson, which were completely inaccurate and ignore the real-life experience of millions of people living with HIV today. HIV stigma is not only real, it is severe. In fact, today the primary barrier to ending the AIDS epidemic continues to be widespread stigma and discrimination against people living with or perceived to be living with HIV/AIDS,” begins the statement from Furnish, who has been John’s partner for two decades (they wed in 2014).
“It’s because of stigma that people are hesitant or fearful to be tested, to discuss their HIV diagnosis with their doctor or pharmacist, to reveal their HIV-positive status to family and friends, or to seek treatment and services. It’s because of stigma that there are still laws on the books in many states that criminalize HIV-positive people for having consensual sex — even when no HIV transmission takes place,” his statement continues.
“Mr. Simpson should use his platform to help end the stigma and ignorance that persist on this issue,” Furnish concludes. “Instead, sadly, he is perpetuating it. At the very least, he should apologize. But more importantly, he should educate himself and join the critical work of ending the stigma and discrimination that targets all people affected by the epidemic.”
The series, based on Maureen Orth’s book Vulgar Favors, has been met with resistance from Versace’s fashion house, which issued a statement declaring the events depicted in “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” as “pure fiction.”
“The Versace family has not authorized nor has it in any way been involved in the TV series dedicated to the death of Gianni Versace,” reads the statement. “Since Versace has not authorized the book from which it is partially drawn and has not taken part in writing the script, this TV series must be considered a work of fiction.”
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