Berlusconi's fiancée sues over lesbian claims
Francesca Pascale, the fiancée of Silvio Berlusconi, is suing a Bulgarian actress for €10m after she claimed in a TV interview that the pair had a lesbian love affair.
Pascale is demanding a minimum of €10 million in damages from actress Michelle Bonev and the journalists behind the interview, Il Messaggero reported on Thursday.
In the interview, broadcast earlier this month on La7, Bonev claimed she had a relationship with 28-year-old Pascale. The actress alleged that Berlusconi’s fiancée is a lesbian and her relationship with the former prime minister is a front.
But Pascale and her lawyers assert she has suffered “serious defamation”.
She is “a victim of a malicious and planned exploitation”, her lawyer said, quoted in Il Messaggero.
Pascale’s motivations for getting engaged to the 77-year-old billionaire have often been questioned, since Berlusconi announced the pair were an item in December.
She admits to having tirelessly pursued him, deciding as a teenager in Naples he was the one for her.
In order to get close to Berlusconi, Pascale orchestrated a “We miss you, Silvio” campaign.
Despite his string of legal woes over the past few months, including being found guilty of having sex with an underage prostitute, Pascale has stood by her man.
At the end of August she vowed to love Berlusconi “whether rich or poor”.
Don't miss a story about Italy - Join us on Facebook and Twitter.
Comments
See Also
Pascale is demanding a minimum of €10 million in damages from actress Michelle Bonev and the journalists behind the interview, Il Messaggero reported on Thursday.
In the interview, broadcast earlier this month on La7, Bonev claimed she had a relationship with 28-year-old Pascale. The actress alleged that Berlusconi’s fiancée is a lesbian and her relationship with the former prime minister is a front.
But Pascale and her lawyers assert she has suffered “serious defamation”.
She is “a victim of a malicious and planned exploitation”, her lawyer said, quoted in Il Messaggero.
Pascale’s motivations for getting engaged to the 77-year-old billionaire have often been questioned, since Berlusconi announced the pair were an item in December.
She admits to having tirelessly pursued him, deciding as a teenager in Naples he was the one for her.
In order to get close to Berlusconi, Pascale orchestrated a “We miss you, Silvio” campaign.
Despite his string of legal woes over the past few months, including being found guilty of having sex with an underage prostitute, Pascale has stood by her man.
At the end of August she vowed to love Berlusconi “whether rich or poor”.
Don't miss a story about Italy - Join us on Facebook and Twitter.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.