ACS: The Story of Andrew Cunanan & David Madson
We've watched the rocky, ultimately deadly romantic relationship between Andrew Cunanan and David Madson play out over several episodes of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. In tonight's episode, we learn more about the dynamic between the two, and watch a desperate Cunanan attempt to woo a man who eventually admits he's simply not interested.
In reality, Cunanan and Madson's relationship was even more complicated than that. Here's what we know about the two, according to Maureen Orth's reporting for Vanity Fair and her book Vulgar Favors, and additional publications including the Washington Post.
Andrew Cunanan and David Madson met in November 1995.
According to Vanity Fair, Cunanan was dining with friends at a restaurant in San Francisco when he spotted Madson drinking alone at the bar. Cunanan sent Madson a drink, then invited him to join their group. Later, the couple had a "nonsexual sleepover" in Cunanan's room at the Mandarin Oriental.
At the time, according to Vanity Fair, Cunanan was receiving a monthly stipend of $2,000 from a wealthy retired millionaire named Norman Blachford when he met Madson.
Madson had a very attractive personality.
Those close to Madson gushed about his personality; his boss described him to the Washington Post as "enormously charming" and "full of energy and enthusiasm and joy of life," while friends told Orth for Vulgar Favors that he was "so charismatic that he blew people away." A college friend named Wendy Petersen told Orth, "I think people always wanted to be around him because of the electrifying magnetism of his personality."
Cunanan and Madson dated long distance for several months.
Cunanan was very secretive with Madson. According to Vulgar Favors, Madson had no idea where Cunanan lived, and Cunanan often changed his phone number, citing his wealthy family's need for privacy as the reason. In reality, Cunanan was likely hiding his relationship with Madson from Blachford, who was bankrolling Cunanan's lavish lifestyle. Madson was often frustrated with Cunanan's deflections, Orth reports.
Cunanan would, however, fly out to visit Madson in Minneapolis, and made his first trip in April 1996, according to Vulgar Favors. These trips would continue even after Madson and Cunanan broke up, especially once Cunanan's friend Jeffrey Trail moved to Minnesota (more on that later).
Friends of Cunanan actually warned Madson about Cunanan.
In May 1996, during one of Madson's trips to visit Cunanan in San Francisco, a friend of Cunanan's told Madson to be wary of Cunanan's lies. "Andrew is a pathological liar," the friend told Madson, according to Vulgar Favors. "It's crazy. You don't know who he is. Don't put anything you're not prepared to lose in that basket."
Even Jeffrey Trail, warned Madson about Cunanan, Orth reports. Trail had moved to Minnesota in November 1996, and spent some time with Madson after the move. At one point, Trail warned him, "You can't believe a word [Cunanan] says. He'll say anything just to get a reaction."
Cunanan and Madson broke up in July of 1996.
According to Vulgar Favors, Madson wanted Cunanan to be honest and open, something Cunanan could not do. The last straw came when Cunanan promised to spend the Fourth of July weekend with Madson, but ultimately bailed.
Cunanan referred to Madson as "the love of my life" and "the man I want to marry."
In the weeks after Cunanan and Madson's breakup in 1996, Cunanan sought solace in his friendship with Jeff Trail, according to Vulgar Favors. Cunanan even gushed to Trail's then-boyfriend about Madson, calling him, "the love of my life, the man I want to marry." According to Vanity Fair, Cunanan kept a photo of Madson on his refrigerator.
Cunanan proposed to Madson sometime between Valentine's Day and Easter 1997.
Orth reports in Vulgar Favors that months after Madson and Cunanan broke up, Cunanan told one of his friends in San Diego that Madson denied his proposal.
Cunanan spent a lot of money on Madson and Madson's friends.
Cunanan spent a lot of time attempting to get back together with Madson, Orth reports in Vulgar Favors. One weekend in April 1997, months after Cunanan and Madson broke up, Cunanan treated Madson and two friends to a lavish weekend in LA complete with a $395 room at the Chateau Marmont, several expensive meals, and a shopping spree at stores like Neiman Marcus.
Cunanan continued visiting Madson in Minneapolis after the two broke up.
Cunanan used Trail moving to Minneapolis as an excuse pursue Madson with more force, Orth reports in Vulgar Favors. According to Madson's friend Wendy Petersen, "From my understanding, Andrew would come to town unannounced. He would barge in and put himself in David's presence, and David would not be comfortable."
Both Trail and Madson did not want Cunanan coming to Minneapolis the weekend of their murders.
According to Vanity Fair, both Trail and Madson were tired of Cunanan's behavior by April of 1997. Madson's boyfriend at the time, Cedric Rucker, told Orth, “David was apprehensive about Andrew’s visit." Nevertheless, Madson picked up Cunanan from the Minneapolis airport on Friday, April 25. A week later, Madson would be dead.
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