Influencer
Influencer Chiara Ferragni Faces 20-Month Prison Sentence In Italian Fraud Trial
Milan prosecutors requested a 20-month prison sentence for fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni during a court hearing on November 25, as she faces aggravated fraud charges related to a 2022 charitable collaboration.
The 38-year-old content creator appeared in Milan court for a pretrial hearing where the Milan Prosecutor’s Office sought one year and eight months of jail time, according to news outlet France 24.
Christmas Cake Collaboration
The charges center on Ferragni’s collaboration with Italian food company Balocco to sell branded Pandoro Christmas cakes in 2022. The product packaging stated that Ferragni and Balocco “support the Regina Margherita hospital in Turin.”
The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) sanctioned Ferragni in 2023 for allegedly misleading consumers. The regulatory body claimed the messaging on boxes and social media accounts suggested each cake purchase would benefit the hospital, when Balocco only made one €50,000 donation to the institution.
Financial Settlements
Ferragni initially responded to the allegations in an Instagram video, calling the claims “disproportionate and unfair” and characterizing the situation as a “communication error.” She pledged to donate the €1 million fee she received from Balocco to the hospital.
By the end of 2024, Ferragni paid €3.4 million total to settle investigations surrounding various charitable donations. This includes the €1 million hospital payment, a €1 million AGCM fine, and €1.2 million to a children’s charity to resolve an antitrust case over Ferragni-branded Easter eggs.
“We have always acted in good faith, no one profited from this. I am confident, I cannot say more,” Ferragni told reporters outside the courthouse.
Her lawyer, Marcello Bana, stated, “Her innocence will come to light.”
Background and Next Steps
Ferragni gained prominence through a fashion blog launched in 2009 and became the first fashion blogger featured on Vogue’s cover in 2015.
In May 2024, Ferragni’s company issued a statement promising to “refrain from carrying out operations in which commercial activities are connected to charitable activities.”
The influencer spent much of 2024 away from social media, but returned to promote collaborations with luxury brands and appear in regional beauty magazines.
The defense presents its arguments on December 19. A verdict is expected in January.
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