Inside the Versace family's journey through fame, tragedy, and resilience

Gianni Versace was born in December 1946 in Calabria, Italy.

Gianni had three siblings: Donatella, Santo, and Fortunata. Fortunata died of tetanus when she was just 12, and Donatella was born three years after her elder sister died.

"Sudden death is frequent in my family," Donatella told The New Yorker.

Donatella also told the outlet that their mother, Francesca, was an entrepreneurial seamstress who used the little money she had to start an atelier in Calabria. Gianni grew up watching her work and designed his first dress at age 10, according to WWD.

In 1972, after he graduated from high school, Gianni moved to Milan to work under various designers, one of whom was Mario Valentino.

Today, Donatella is 69, and Santo is 80.

In 1978, Gianni started his own fashion company, Gianni Versace S.p.A.

Donatella moved to Milan to be with Gianni when he founded the company, learning from him and serving as his muse.

She also began helping with clothing design.

Gianni was known for blending the world of celebrity and fashion.

As Anna Wintour told GQ, the designer pioneered the concept of filling the front row with celebrities and industry "it" people at fashion shows. His famous friends, like Elton John and Madonna, always attended his shows.

He also paid top models such as Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, and Cindy Crawford so much that the word "supermodel" was invented just for them.

In 1994, Donatella became the head designer of Versace's Versus line.

Versus was designed to be an experimental line that challenged fashion norms at the time.

The line later saw collaborations from designers Christopher Kane and JW Anderson.

The Versace brand became synonymous with tasteful, sexy luxury wear, reaching its peak in the 1990s.

For instance, the gown Gianni designed for Elizabeth Hurley in the 1990s made her the topic of conversation, helping her acting career take off, as WWD reported.

Versace also became a lifestyle brand as it grew, selling everything from bedsheets to tableware.

Then, on July 15, 1997, Gianni was killed outside his home in Miami during the height of his success.

Gianni was 50 years old when the serial killer Andrew Cunanan shot him at his home. He left behind a massive legacy in the fashion world.

Donatella told Michael Ebert and Sven Michaelsen of Ssense that when she first heard the news that her brother had died, "the world stood still."

Although his murder was a shock, Gianni had a will prepared because he had previously been treated for a rare inner-ear cancer, according to The New Yorker.

The will left Donatella a 20% stake in the fashion company, and she became creative director of Versace.

Santo was president of the company at the time of Gianni's death and later became chairman. He received a 30% stake in the company.

Gianni left the majority of the company to Donatella's then 11-year-old daughter, Allegra Versace Beck.

Donatella told Ssense that Gianni "idolized" her daughter and called her "my little princess."

Because Allegra was so young when she inherited half the company, Donatella was in charge of her shares until she turned 18.

Gianni left Donatella's son, Daniel Beck, his art collection, which included two pieces by Picasso, according to The New Yorker.

Allegra was deeply affected by her uncle's murder.

The New York Post reported that Donatella tried to help Allegra cope with the murder by organizing counseling sessions, but Milan "fashion insiders" told the newspaper that the young girl was "never the same."

The outlet also reported that Allegra felt guilty after Gianni died, telling her mother she should have been by her uncle's side.

In 2007, while Allegra was studying at Brown University, Donatella and Paul Beck — Allegra's father — released a statement addressing their daughter's mental health. They said she had been receiving the best medical care possible for anorexia and was "responding well."

Donatella also struggled after Gianni's death.

During her early years at Versace, critics, including The New Yorker, called Donatella a mere "muse, mascot, and de-facto first lady" to Gianni while he was still alive and running the company.

Donatella said the years after Gianni's death were difficult for her, as she was constantly worried about disappointing Gianni and Versace customers.

She told Ssense that she thought she couldn't handle the pressure and turned to drugs shortly after Gianni's death, developing a cocaine addiction. She said she was in and out of a daze for the following 18 years, which made her even more self-conscious.

To protect herself, Donatella said she created an alter ego. She told Ssense that she created a version of herself that was "cold and aloof, aggressive and scary."

Donatella went to rehab for her addiction in 2004.

She told The New Yorker her children, Allegra and Daniel, along with several other close friends, including Elton John, were the reason she decided to go to rehab in 2004.

Part of Donatella's post-treatment recovery from cocaine addiction was daily morning workouts, according to the outlet.

In 2011, at 24 years old, Allegra accepted her uncle's inheritance and took her seat on Versace's board.

Before she accepted her shares, Allegra told LaRepublica in 2011 that she preferred anonymity and enjoyed living in the US, working for other designers, and attending college.

In her 2018 interview with Ssense, Donatella said her daughter was "highly intelligent and a very keen observer."

"Everyone pays rapt attention whenever she takes the floor at a board meeting — not because she owns half of the company, but because she asks the right questions," Donatella said.

Santo didn't have a passion for fashion like his siblings.

Although Santo serves as the president and co-CEO of Gianni Versace S.p.A., he told The New Yorker in 2007, "I work in fashion because Gianni was a talent."

Otherwise, he said his real passion lies in charity. He said he constantly thinks of the people who are "suffering" and in poverty.

Santo has also been an elected member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Republic in Calabria since 2008.

Throughout the years, people have tried to document the life of the Versace family in books and television series, but nothing succeeded until the 2018 FX series "American Crime Story."

Ryan Murphy focused on Gianni's killer in season two of his acclaimed "American Crime Story" series.

Although Donatella gave the actor Penelope Cruz her blessing to portray her, she and her whole family did not approve of the season, E! News reported.

Cruz told the outlet that she accepted the role after getting Donatella's blessing in a phone call. She revealed that Donatella said she had nothing to do with the show but that if someone was going to play her, she was glad it was Cruz.

The family stands by its denunciation of the show, saying it's an inaccurate portrayal of their brother's life and his murder. Murphy, the show's executive producer, said he thought his team was being kind to the family through the show's portrayal of them.

In 2014, the Versace family sold 20% of the company to the Blackstone Group.

Donatella told Ssense that right after Gianni was shot, companies came to her asking her to sell them Gianni Versace S.p.A., saying things like, "None of your family will ever have to work again."

But Donatella wouldn't sell. She told Ssense, "My brother would not have wanted me to sell a single office chair. To him, the company was family, and you don't sell family."

However, the family sold some of the company to Blackstone Group in 2014 to help move Gianni Versace S.p.A. forward as a business, according to The Business of Fashion. Then, in 2016, Jonathan Akeroyd stepped in as CEO to overhaul people's perception of the brand, which was not doing well.

Akeroyd proved to be a good addition to the team. Twenty years after Gianni died, Donatella managed to pull off one of the biggest comebacks in the fashion world — so much so that fashion journalists dubbed 2017 "the year of Versace."

Donatella carried on Gianni's legacy in the brand's comeback.

Donatella incorporated her brother's loudest designs, styles, and prints in the 2017 collection. She also brought out the models he featured most to close her spring 2018 line showing in Milan.

In March 2025, Donatella announced she was stepping down as Versace's creative director.

On Thursday, Donatella took to Instagram to announce she would be stepping down as creative director for Versace and becoming chief brand ambassador instead. Dario Vitale will take over as creative director.

"Championing the next generation of designers has always been important to me," she wrote on her Instagram. "I am thrilled that Dario Vitale will be joining us, and excited to see Versace through new eyes. I want to thank my incredible design team and all the employees at Versace that I have had the privilege of working with for over three decades."

"It has been the greatest honor of my life to carry on my brother Gianni's legacy," Donatella said. "He was the true genius, but I hope I have some of his spirit and tenacity. In my new role as Chief Brand Ambassador, I will remain Versace's most passionate supporter. Versace is in my DNA and always in my heart."

The news comes amid reports Capri Holdings is nearing a deal to sell Versace to Prada, which improved both company's stocks.