Paola Franchi Was Maurizio Gucci’s Girlfriend Until His Death

Paola Franchi’s love story with the late Maurizio Gucci came to an untimely end in the 1990s. Despite facing profound grief, she found the strength to move forward. The former interior designer still cherishes photos of her late lover and her son, adorning her home with memories of their shared past.

In November 2021, the much-anticipated film “House of Gucci” debuted in theaters. Audiences worldwide gathered to see a dramatized version of one of Italy’s most publicized stories surrounding the fall of the late Gucci heir Maurizio Gucci.

A star-studded cast led the award-winning film, depicting Maurizio’s life, his marriage to Patrizia Reggiani, and his subsequent romance with Paola Franchi, whom he was living with and wanted to marry before being murdered.

Following the depiction of their love story on-screen—portrayed by Adam Driver, Lady Gaga, Al Pacino, Jared Leto, and Salma Hayek—the public took an interest in Paola’s account of the events and how she lived her life after Maurizio died.

Paola, an interior designer turned artist, had begun a relationship with Maurizio after their respective marriages ended. Their relationship began in 1990, soon after which they moved in together in a Milan luxury apartment with Paola’s son, Charly.

Their feelings for each other instantly ignited when they reconnected. As Paola recalled, “we fell in love immediately. Maurizio used to tell me that we were two halves of the same apple.” Their love grew stronger, and they were eventually engaged.

While Paola and Maurizio were happy together, the former interior designer said Maurizio’s ex-wife stalked them. Patrizia allegedly had “spies” in her ex-husband’s circle, from whom she gathered information about his and Paola’s plans and business dealings.

Patrizia would also harass Maurizio with phone calls and cassettes, threatening to harm him. “I begged him to hire a bodyguard, but he refused. He didn’t believe Patrizia would go through with her threat because of their girls,” Paola lamented.

In March 1995, Maurizio was murdered in broad daylight by a hitman. Two years later, Patrizia was among five suspects charged with conspiring to and ending her ex-husband’s life. She spent 16 years in prison before being released on parole in 2014.

While Paola still mourned Maurizio, she lost Charly to suicide in 2001. She revealed it was unexpected, and for a year after her son’s death, she harbored much rage in her soul. However, she had to get on with life because she preferred to keep moving forward.

In 2010, Paola decided to pen her story and published a memoir titled “L’amore Spezzato,” translated to “Broken Love” in English. The former interior designer, who had not spoken about her ordeal for over a decade, detailed her emotional turmoil, which gained more popularity after “House of Gucci” hit theaters.

She told her story from a place of love as she wrote about her passion for her profession as an interior decorator to being a figurative artist and how she pushed through beyond her suffering.

Paola also revealed she kept Maurizio and Charly’s photos all around her home. “I like to have their faces around, to say hello,” she explained. Even though the media had painted her as a “glamourous gold digger,” she ignored the scrutiny maintaining that her relationship with Maurizio was authentic and that her ex-husband was wealthier than Maurizio.

Camille Cottin spoke about playing Paola in a November 2021 interview, noting that Paola and Patrizia were utterly different women from “two different worlds.” The actress understood that Paola had gone through a lot, especially as she was the second woman to share Maurizio’s life.

Understanding their worlds helped the actress uncover the differing dynamics between Maurizio’s relationship with Patrizia, the woman who made him the man he was, versus his romance with Paola.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “help” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.