Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, has announced her divorce from her long-term husband Andrea Giambruno, a television host who has made several embarrassing, sexist remarks.
The couple met in 2015 and had a seven-year-old daughter.
Giorgia Meloni confirmed the divorce on social media hours after a TV show made sexual comments to female colleagues off-air.
Giambruno was involved in a number of questionable behaviors, including rumor of a “threesome, even a foursome.”
He is also said to have asked a coworker, “Can I touch my balls while I talk to you?”
Giambruno got into trouble earlier this week after a satirical TV show, Striscia La Notizia, publicized statements he made off-camera in which he appeared to flirt with a female coworker by telling her, “You’re so bright… “How come I didn’t meet you sooner?”
Then, on Thursday, October 19, more specific off-air remarks he made were made public. Giambruno was overheard in one asking another coworker if she was single or in an open relationship.
He is heard bragging about having an affair, claiming that “everyone” at Mediaset, the TV business for which he works, “knows it, and now you do too.” He then made vulgar remarks about “group sex.”
“Will you join our group, our working group?” Giambruno is heard asking the colleague.
When another voice inquired, “What if Striscia has recorded you?” he said, “What did I say that was so bad?” We’re joking around and laughing.”
This is not Giambruno’s first brush with controversy. He was accused of victim-blaming a few months ago after appearing to remark that young women may avoid rape by not getting intoxicated.
“If you go dancing, you have every right to get drunk,” he said at the time. But if you avoid getting intoxicated and losing consciousness, you might avoid getting into specific troubles since that’s when the wolf appears.”
Following Giambruno’s sexist remarks, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the end of their nearly 10-year relationship.
“My almost ten-year relationship with Andrea Giambruno comes to an end here,” she posted on Instagram. I thank him for the great years we shared, the hardships we faced, and for giving me the most important thing in my life, our daughter Geneva.
“Our roads have long been divided, and it’s past time to acknowledge it.”
“I will defend who we were, our friendship, and a seven-year-old who loves her mother and father in ways I couldn’t love mine.”
“There’s nothing further to say about this one.
“Ps. all those who hoped to weaken me by hitting me in the house should know that as much as the drop may hope to dig out the stone, the stone remains a stone and the drop is just water.”
