Allegra Beck Versace, the 20-year-old heiress to the fashion house that bears her name, is suffering from anorexia, the eating disorder which many people blame at least in part on the diktats of the beauty industry.
"Our daughter, Allegra has been battling anorexia, a very serious disease, for many years," Donatella Versace said in a joint statement released with Allegra's father Paul Beck in a bid to stem rumours about her daughter's health.
Allegra inherited 50 percent of Versace on her eighteenth birthday from her uncle Gianni. The fashion pioneer who famously dressed Princess Diana and made Elizabeth Hurley's safety-pin outfit, which became known as "that dress", was killed in 1997. The girl Gianni called his "little princess" was only 11 when he was gunned down outside his Miami Beach mansion by serial killer Andrew Cunanan.
"She is receiving the best medical care possible to help overcome this illness and is responding well," said the statement by Donatella, who owns 20 percent of the firm and took over as Versace designer after her brother's death.
Versace's public relations office said the family was launching legal action against media that quoted Donatella as saying her daughter had been admitted to hospital and that anorexia was "consuming" her.
No such comments were ever made, the Versace company said in a statement. "Allegra is not at present staying in any hospital, she is living in her private residence and her condition does not cause particular concerns," it said. Allegra is a student at Brown University, Rhode Island. "As parents, we are doing our best to protect our daughter. However, due to numerous media reports, we want to let everyone know that we appreciate their concern for Allegra, and we ask that her privacy be respected at this time," they said.