Italian Model to Sue Former PM Berlusconi's Family

Facts

• Italian model Alessandra Sorcinelli is planning to sue Silvio Berlusconi's five children for €3M, after they ceased monthly payments to the attendees of the infamous 'bunga bunga' parties.¹
• Last week, Berlusconi's family reportedly halted the €2.5K ($2,670) monthly cash payments that the deceased former Italian prime minister had guaranteed to 20 female guests of his parties.²
• The family has also allegedly asked two women to vacate free housing provided by Berlusconi before the end of the year.²
• Berlusconi, the billionaire who died in June aged 86, had agreed to give monthly payments and accommodation to at least 20 models who suffered 'reputational damage' from attending the parties, reports of which prompted damaging sex scandals and widespread controversy.³
• Sorcinelli, who currently lives in a villa outside Milan, has claimed that Berlusconi promised her €3M, adding 'the contract dates back to 2015 and has no expiry date.'⁴
• Berlusconi — accused of paying a Moroccan pole dancer for sex at his bunga bunga parties while she was underaged — was forced to resign as PM in 2011. After decades of legal battles, however, he was acquitted in February.⁵

Sources: ¹The Telegraph, ²Reuters, ³WION, ⁴The Week and ⁵Daily Mail.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Week. The models who attended Berlusconi's infamous bunga bunga parties suffered irreparable harm to their reputations and were dragged through the mud as part of a national scandal that lasted for over a decade. His family must continue to adhere to the terms of the agreement entered into by their father.
• Narrative B, as provided by The Times. Berlusconi's children have no obligation to fulfill their father's promises to these models. Not only was he acquitted of charges of underage prostitution and abuse of office, but the models, who knew what they were getting into when they went to the former PM's 'dinners,' have been paid more than enough over the course of this controversy.