Italian influencer star Chiara Ferragni is under investigation for fraud in a charity sale of Pandoro, traditional Christmas rolls, an accusation she denied on Tuesday, citing her “good faith.”
The blogger, famous in the fashion world and followed by almost 30 million subscribers on Instagram, is at the center of a scandal surrounding the sponsorship of a brand of Pandoro, a panettone-like brioche that was launched in November 2022, which suggests this part A Part of the proceeds would be donated to children suffering from bone cancer at the Regina Margherita Hospital in Turin (northwest).
Italy's competition watchdog found last month that buyers had indeed been misled. The profit from the sale of this special edition of the Balocco brand Pandoro brought Chiara Ferragni's companies more than a million euros, while the company limited itself to a lump sum donation of 50,000 euros to the hospital.
The 36-year-old businesswoman's lawyer, Giuseppe Iannaccone, confirmed to AFP on Tuesday that his client had been officially cited by the Milan prosecutor's office in this serious fraud case. This procedural step does not imply guilt, but rather demonstrates the existence of sufficient evidence to initiate an investigation against the person in question.
The Milan public prosecutor's office did not respond to a request from AFP.
“I am calm because I have always acted in good faith and I am sure that this will emerge from the ongoing investigation,” Chiara Ferragni said in a statement from her lawyer.
In December, the competition watchdog fined two of his companies and Balocco €1.4 million for misleading consumers into believing that buying the “pink Christmas Pandora” would contribute to charity.
In a statement, Balocco said he “deeply regrets that the initiative has been misunderstood by many.” “We will cooperate with the authorities – whom we fully trust – and are confident that our absolute good faith will be exercised,” the company said.
“Pandoro Gate”
Since starting a successful fashion blog fifteen years ago, Chiara Ferragni has built a multimillion-dollar empire, launched her own brand, and struck lucrative partnerships with major brands.
Her success story is told in “Unposted,” a documentary about her life as an influencer and entrepreneur, which was one of the highlights of the 76th Venice Film Festival in September 2019.
The “Pandoro goal”, as it was dubbed by the Italian media, which has been making headlines about it for weeks, has tarnished the star's glamorous image.
The daily La Repubblica reported last week that Coca-Cola had dropped a commercial featuring it that was scheduled to air in January, while eyewear maker Safilo ended a licensing deal in December.
Chiara Ferragni admitted in a video posted on Instagram in December that she had made a “miscommunication” for linking a charity campaign to a commercial activity, adding that she would donate one million euros to the hospital.
According to media reports, she is facing another similar investigation, this time over a charity sale of Easter eggs that, according to the newspaper Il Fatto quotidiano, would have brought her 500,000 euros in 2021 and 700,000 euros in 2022, but only 36,000 euros to the children's charity that was supposed to benefit from it.
Chiara Ferragni formed one of the most popular couples on social networks with the Italian rapper Fedez and became known in 2009 with her fashion blog “The Blonde Salad”.
She then launched her own shoe collection in 2015, before collaborating with several fashion brands, including Dior and Chanel, and becoming an entrepreneur, undertaking commercial activities in addition to her blog, including an online store.