“I gave my first real kiss to a girl when I was 23.”
He must have had a crush on his elementary school desks.
Anus. I was an old kid, the boys made fun of me because I didn’t like soccer and marbles, I preferred playing hopscotch.
He also hated the funny surgeon.
“When they gave it to me for Christmas, I cried in despair. Even as a child, I was very afraid of illnesses. Every night I clenched my fists in bed. “I can do it, at least I won’t die tonight.” To console me, Aunt Ester bought me a Bontempi keyboard.
Then his love for Maria Callas exploded.
“In middle school, my classmates listened to “Ti amo” by Umberto Tozzi, and I collected Fabbri’s albums about the greats of music.”
Her book “Too Proud, Too Fragile. Callas’ novel has sold 1 million 800,000 copies. And she bought a house there.
“Insane success, translated into 15 languages.”
He has just signed a new edition for Mondadori, which he will present at La Scala on December 12th. Do you see more real estate deals happening?
“I do not believe that. There are 100 more pages. I wanted to pay homage to her on the occasion of her 100th birth anniversary, Divina is a character who is good for the heart.”
In high school he had his revenge.
“I didn’t win any medals in sports, I didn’t smoke cigarettes, I didn’t have a scooter. But I cheated on all of my homework in class. I finished in an hour. My classmates kicked me under the chair to make me suggest something. And I gave the wrong answers. On the way out, they spit into the balloons and then deflated them in front of my face.
The first foundations of love.
“I was a very unhappy nerd. When I was 13 I saw Gilda with Rita Hayworth. And I felt my first sexual impulse. “Oh God, what’s wrong? I’m dying”. I didn’t really understand how it worked, but I dreamed for months about the love between Aeneas and Dido. And with the films of Carmen Villani».
He became a high school teacher.
“I graduated from the Catholic University at the age of 22.5. After three months I was already teaching at Leone XIII in Milan, a snobbish institute run by the Jesuit fathers.
One of the big 10s of his students.
“He told me about Nino Bi “for” me, aka Nino Bixio.”
And let’s go back to that late kiss.
“I took a hat for the aunt of a student who was older than me, she was 31 years old. We were very afraid that they would find out about the affair. We were supposed to get married in Sant’Ambrogio. One day I kissed her in front of a railroad crossing. And I discovered physical attraction, the real one.
However, the wedding was canceled.
“He sold air conditioners, he cheated on me with an Egyptian agent. We returned the gifts, including a Rinascente set.”
We were disappointed.
“I didn’t want to know anything about love anymore. I felt within myself that my true interests lay elsewhere, but the external influences were too strong. I suppressed. When there was a transport strike, I walked to Bruzzano. There were prostitutes on the street. Mom recommended, “Don’t stop at sluts.” I rushed through this section out of fear.
Another fateful encounter.
“When I had already decided to close this door forever, on a bus to Moena I met Laura, a wonderful girl, Roman, who was heading to the same hotel as me. It was love. And I spent seven wonderful years with her. I was madly in love. Intelligent, he caused me a lot of trouble. Every weekend I came to Rome by train with my cat’s cage.
He didn’t look elsewhere for distraction.
“I never had temptations. When I saw a good-looking man, I just looked at him. I was affectionate, I did the household chores, shopped, and prepared dinner.
But in the end you broke up.
“Our relationship was in crisis; I dropped out of school to become a journalist. Laura didn’t like this world. We moved away. Until one day we looked into each other’s eyes and told each other with great honesty that it was better to close it there so as not to hurt each other.
There was another betrayal.
“His, with the tennis coach. I suffered, I was consumed body and soul. And perhaps out of spite – twice betrayed by two – I took the quail jump amidst thousands of surprises. I was over thirty years old, I had never been with a man, although I lived with certain thoughts. I told myself, “If I was a failure as a friend, it was because I didn’t want to listen to the voice inside me.” But I didn’t know how to support her, I wasn’t practical.
How did he solve the dilemma?
“I responded to an ad from Robert, model, on Second Hand. Appointment at the airport. Beautiful but ugly. Jeans, tank top, cigarette butt, suitcase with stickers. “Of course Paris will always be Paris.” In the hotel he threw himself on the sofa to watch the games. “Should we do two strings?” My desire collapsed. I sent it to the Eiffel Tower. I left the money on the nightstand and left.
He changed strategy.
“I discovered Cuba, you can definitely go there. I had a Lauda Airways card and left two or three times a month. My first husband was Ulysses, he lasted a year. He wanted to come to Italy no matter what I brought him there. It was just sex.
How did you meet Paolo, your partner of over 20 years?
«In a Tiscali chat, meetings section. My nickname was Perlage, his Traveler68. He contacted me. “The only perlage I love is Blanc de Blancs.” It fascinated me. It was 2002, I was working with Chiambretti. We discovered that we both lived in Milan. He said to me, “Now I’m on the boat.” And I cheekily said, “Is it yours?” You know, I had certain ambitions. “And what car do you have?” “An Aston Martin”. “Oh.” I thought he was making fun of me. “I’ll be back tonight, if you’d like I’ll see you later,” he suggested. I couldn’t, I was a guest on the Maurizio Costanzo Show. “If you want, watch me on TV.”
And looked at her?
“Unfortunately yes. I wore a pink jacket and said a bunch of stupid things. And he disappeared. He also blocked me on my phone. A week later he showed up again. “Sorry, I was rude, but you shocked me a bit, too effusive. Nevertheless, I would like to get to know you. We saw each other and have never left each other since.
Except last year, for a few months.
“I felt bad, but I didn’t have the courage to talk to him about it.” Basically, I left it at an interview with the Corriere. He became very angry. But then he forgave me and we are happy together again.
Will you get married sooner or later?
“Paolo had asked me before we separated, and I was against it: “I don’t understand why we homosexuals have to endure the worst of heterosexuals.” Now I’m more optimistic. If he suggested it to me, I would seriously consider it.
Did he cheat or vice versa?
“When it happened to either of them, we had the intellectual honesty to admit it, now it’s secondary.” I did it out of physiological necessity, not with heart or head. Of course, if you do it, you have to be willing to endure it.”
Friendship with Silvio Berlusconi.
“When my father died, he called to me: “From today on you will have a different father in me.” He was close to me in good times and bad. “The important thing is to be quiet when you turn off the lights.” He tried to drag me into politics, but palace affairs are not for me. We talked less about women. He wanted me at dinner. “But invite some AC Milan players.”
On “Big Brother” he finds himself in the fight between Cesara Buonamici and Beatrice Luzzi.
“I confess Beatrice has a certain effect on me.”
Don’t you think back?
“No, enough, there is no turning back. But I associate myself more with women than with men, and I say that with regret.”
Fedez dedicated a song to her.
“An extraordinary joke. He thought I was angry. He asked me, “But would you do the video dressed as a superhero?” “I’ll wear the tight onesie, but only if I can fit underneath.” He doesn’t know how much I caught.
As the director of “Chi” (now only editorially), how many ended marriages have you had on your conscience?
“Some, the majority were already without return. Certainly Pavarotti’s, after I published the photos with Nicoletta Mantovani. I warned him. “And what will your wife Adua say?” “His problems”».
The Giambruno affair.
“Giorgia Meloni knew exactly who Andrea was. She had to choose between herself and what she represents. If she hadn’t been at Palazzo Chigi, she might have behaved differently.
Giambruno took it to Rete4.
“He was my editor in Kalispera. Same as today. A Bauscia, let’s say here, a Ganassa, a Gascon. When he left home four days later, he had to start all over again. Of course he did some stupid things, but he recognizes it.”
Will they get back together?
“Not now, then who knows.”
Who are you with between Totti and Blasi?
“I love Ilary with all my heart, but Francesco is also a very good person. Made for each other. I would never have imagined this ending. Reconciliation is impossible here.”
Is Belen getting married again?
“She’s local, she could do it. Live passion without protection. And he lost a lot.”