Actress Lollobrigida claims ex married her ‘by proxy’
The screen goddess is taking an ex-boyfriend — decades younger than her — to court on claims he married her by proxy in order to claim part of her estate.
Lollobrigida, 85, filed a formal complaint in Rome against lawyer Javier Rigau y Rafols, a Spanish citizen.
Rigau is reported to be aged between 44 and 51.
Lollobrigida alleges that Rigau married an imposter who claimed to be her in a civil marriage ceremony in Barcelona held in 2010.
A marriage certificate would likely make Rigau Lollobrigida’s prime heir.
“This vile and dishonest person married me by proxy, without my knowledge, without my permission, in order to inherit my estate after my death,” said Lollobrigida.
“There will be an international investigation into everything because I want to shed light on this squalid affair and all the people involved.”
Lollobrigida claims that Rigau previously obtained a power of attorney in order to help her clear up some legal problems — which she now believes allowed him to carry out the bogus marriage ceremony.
Lollobrigida discovered the fake marriage only after coming across a document online that showed she was married to Rigau.
“I found a document in which it seems that in Nov 2010 he became my husband, before eight witnesses,” she said. “I fear he took advantage of the fact that I don’t understand Spanish. Who knows what it is he had me sign?”
The pair’s relationship lasted more than 20 years after they met at a party in Monte Carlo in the 1980s.
She said she considered marrying him in 2006, but she changed her mind, believing it would be a mistake.
Javier Saavedra, who said he represented Mr Rafols until 2009, claimed the actress’s version of events was true.
“Rafols paid money to a woman who looked like Gina Lollobrigida to enter into a fake marriage,” he told The Daily Telegraph from Madrid.
“He presented legal papers bearing what was supposedly Lollobrigida’s signature. He is known for moving in high society circles.”
Lollobrigida was part of a trio of Italian divas from the 1950s and 1960s, along with Sophia Loren and Claudia Cardinale. She earned her nickname as the world’s most beautiful woman after starring in Lina Cavalieri’s La donna piu bella del mondo with Vittorio Gassman.
The film’s Italian title translates to The World’s Most Beautiful Woman.
By the time she stopped acting 15 years ago, she had appeared in more than 70 films, in both the US and Italy, opposite such leading men as Humphrey Bogart, Tony Curtis, Yul Brynner, Burt Lancaster, and Anthony Quinn.
She won six David di Donatello prizes in Italy — three of them honorary — and was nominated twice for a Golden Globe.
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