A shocking sex abuse case filed by a Gucci heiress took a dramatic turn on Tuesday.
The daughter of Patricia Gucci, 62, had sued the fashion empire matriarch, claiming she turned a blind eye to alleged sexual abuse by her stepfather.
Alexandra Gucci Zarini, 40, great-granddaughter of company founder Guccio Gucci, is continuing her case against Joseph Ruffalo, 85, who she claims preyed on her when she was a child.
Zarini, who is also a designer, asserts she endured years of abuse by Ruffalo beginning when she was six years old until she was a young adult.
She had also sued her mother in civil court for negligence in not preventing the alleged abuse but it was announced in Los Angeles Superior Court that the claim had been dropped.
Attorney Julie Gerchik of law firm Glaser Weil, representing Gucci, read out a statement jointly prepared between her client and Zarini which read: ‘We have decided to end the lawsuit and move forward with our lives. We wish each other peace and joy.’
Afterwards, Judge Michael Small told the over 100 potential jurors: ‘Patricia Gucci is no longer in the lawsuit. You should not speculate on why she is no longer involved. The plaintiff’s case will now proceed against Joseph Ruffalo.’
Gucci had previously denied her daughter’s allegations and claimed they were an attempt to extort money from her family.
Gucci’s mother, Bruna Palombo, was also previously accused of shielding Ruffalo’s alleged deeds but her name was removed from the case.
Zarini’s sister, Victoria Gucci-Losio, has also been publicly named as part of the case for allegedly being another victim of Ruffalo.
The plaintiff’s grandfather was Aldo Gucci, eldest son of Guccio Gucci, who founded the eponymous company bearing the family name in 1921 in Florence, Italy.
The Gucci family has not been involved with the Gucci brand since 1993.
Patricia Gucci was married to Ruffalo, a former music manager who worked with Prince and Earth, Wind & Fire, from 1993 to 2008.
The pair lived together in Los Angeles from 1992 to 1998 and she left him after her daughter allegedly told her she was being molested.
Zarini began legal proceedings in 2020.
She released a video four years ago describing her ordeal and said her mother and grandmother ‘did not protect me, they did not shield me, they allowed it to happen.
‘As hard as this is for me, I feel it is my duty to expose the misconceptions about child sexual abuse and to raise awareness that every single day we as a society are failing to protect the most vulnerable and innocent among us, our children.
‘If you think this doesn’t happen here in Beverly Hills, then you should know that my perpetrator still lives in California, spends time at the Bel Air Country Club and volunteers in your children’s hospitals.
‘This is not something that only happens to other families in other neighborhoods or other countries. It is everywhere.
‘When I was abused and sexually assaulted, I had no one to protect me, no one to save me and no one who did anything about it. This is far too common. There needs to be accountability for those people who look away and who don’t stop child sexual abuse from happening.
‘That inaction is costing us lives and robbing children of their future.’
According to court documents, Ruffalo would climb into bed naked with Zarini and would expose his genitals to her.
She alleged that her mother and grandmother ‘tried to avoid, at all costs, what they perceived would be a scandal that could tarnish the Gucci name and potentially cost them millions,’ the filing states.
The New York Times previously reported that Zarini filed a report with the Beverly Hills Police Department outlining the abuse.
‘I am deeply sorry for the pain Joseph Ruffalo caused Alexandra,’ Patricia Gucci previously said in a statement to the outlet.
‘What he did to her is inexcusable and I was devastated when she disclosed everything to me at our family doctor’s office in London in September 2007.
‘I immediately initiated divorce proceedings against Mr. Ruffalo and set about healing my family through counseling.
‘I am equally devastated by the allegations against me and her grandmother, which are completely false.’
According to the mother-of-three’s personal website, she lives in Switzerland and is ‘establishing a legacy of her own, developing projects based on a collection of diverse experiences and a unique perspective.’
Zarini’s attorney, Gary Dordick, confirmed to the Daily Mail that an ‘agreement’ was reached between his client and her mother but would not elaborate on the circumstances.
He said the accused abused his client until she was about 20.
Of the continuing case against Ruffalo, he said: ‘My client wants her day in court and wants a jury to hear the abuse she suffered through her childhood.
‘She’s trying very hard to move on with her life but unfortunately, the degree of abuse beginning at such a young age and continuing throughout essentially her entire childhood has left tremendous scars on her but she is right now doing well under the circumstances.’
Jury selection is expected to begin on Thursday.
Zarini has established an organization, the Alexandra Gucci Children’s Foundation, to combat the sexual abuse of children.
Ruffalo’s attorney, Jilbert Tahmazian, declined to comment to the Daily Mail on Gucci’s removal from the case.
