Milan court dismisses fraud case against influencer Chiara Ferragni

A court in Milan dismissed a fraud case on Wednesday against Chiara Ferragni, the Italian influencer who had faced accusations related to sales of a limited edition Christmas cake promoted as supporting cancer treatment. Prosecutors had initially accused Ms. Ferragni of aggravated fraud and sought a 20-month prison sentence.

The charge was later downgraded to fraud and then dismissed by the judge because a victim had not filed the formal complaint required under Italian law; victims had previously withdrawn a complaint as part of a settlement. Ms. Ferragni told reporters, "A nightmare I have experienced for two years is over," and posted that the judge determined "that there were not even the basic grounds for a criminal trial to exist." Her lawyer said he hoped prosecutors would not appeal.

The allegations date to 2022, when Ms. Ferragni promoted a pink-boxed pandoro produced by the Balocco bakery that was priced at about $10, roughly two and a half times the cost of a normal Balocco pandoro, and implied that sales would fund equipment for a children’s hospital. A journalist questioned how proceeds were divided, reporting that Balocco had already made a donation and that the partnership was a commercial venture.

The episode, dubbed "Pandoro Gate," prompted fines from the Italian Competition Authority in December 2023—roughly 1.1 million euros for Ms.

Key Topics

World, Chiara Ferragni, Pandoro Gate, Balocco, Italian Competition Authority, Milan