ITALIAN INFLUENCER BEATS FRAUD RAP

CHRISTMAS CAKE SCANDAL FAILS TO BRING DOWN CHIARA FERRAGNI

- STORY: JOSEPHINE DE LA BRUYÈRE / NYT

Italian fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni speaks to the media after being acquitted on fraud charges of misleading charity claims linked to the sales of a Christmas cake and Easter eggs, in Milan, Italy, on Jan 14.

A court in Milan closed a fraud case last week against Chiara Ferragni, Italy's most famous influencer, that involved accusations of charity fraud and had prompted an exodus of sponsors and followers.

Ferragni, 38, had built a formidable empire online sharing the intricacies of her life. Then, in 2022, she was accused of misleading consumers with the sale of a pink-boxed Christmas cake, or pandoro, and the brewing scandal brought her unwanted attention.

Prosecutors had initially accused her of aggravated fraud and asked for a prison sentence of 20 months. But the charge was downgraded to fraud by the judge, who then dismissed it because a victim had not filed a formal complaint, as required in Italy to uphold a fraud case. Victims had previously withdrawn a complaint under the terms of a settlement.

"A nightmare I have experienced for two years is over," Ferragni told reporters outside the courtroom in Milan.

She said in a social media post to her 28 million followers on Instagram on Thursday the judge determined "that there were not even the basic grounds for a criminal trial to exist."