A Milan court acquitted Italian influencer Chiara Ferragni on January 14 of aggravated fraud charges related to charitable product collaborations, per the Associated Press. The 38-year-old faced potential jail time in the trial prosecutors dubbed “Pandorogate.”

Milan prosecutors had requested a 20-month prison sentence during a November 2025 hearing. The charges centered on Ferragni’s promotion of a limited-edition pandoro cake produced by the Italian confectionery company Balocco in 2022, in which inflated prices were intended to directly support children’s medical treatment at Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital in Turin.

Italy’s antitrust authority fined Ferragni more than €1 million in December 2023 for “unfair commercial practices” related to the branded pandoro cake, according to the Associated Press. The Italian Competition Authority claimed that messaging on packaging and social media accounts suggested that each cake purchase would benefit the hospital, even though Balocco made a single €50,000 donation to the institution.

Ferragni paid a total of €3.4 million to settle investigations into various charitable donations by the end of 2024. The settlements included the €1 million hospital payment, a €1 million regulatory fine, and €1.2 million to “I Bambini delle Fate,” an association that helps children with autism, to resolve an antitrust case over Ferragni-branded Easter eggs.

Legislative Response

Italy’s conservative government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, introduced legislation in 2024 targeting influencers suspected of misleading followers through unclear promotional practices. The bill became known as the “Ferragni law.”

Ferragni’s status as Italy’s most recognizable influencer made the case a test for prosecutors and regulators addressing the largely unregulated creator economy, the Associated Press reports.

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.”

Business and Personal Consequences

According to the Associated Press, the scandal affected Ferragni’s social media presence and business empire, which spanned beauty, licensing, and fashion. Her marriage to rapper Fedez collapsed under public scrutiny.

“We are all moved,” Ferragni said as she left the courtroom after the acquittal. “I thank everyone, my lawyers and my followers.”

Ferragni gained prominence through a fashion blog launched in 2009 and became the first fashion blogger featured on Vogue’s cover in 2015.

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