Colin Firth’s wife, Livia Giuggioli, has shared some shocking news about her alleged stalker.
Earlier this week, the couple filed a complaint against Italian journalist Marco Brancaccia, accusing him of consistent harassment throughout 2016. Newly leaked documents revealed Brancaccia had denied the allegations, and insisted Giuggioli made up the claims in an attempt to hide their one-year affair. And in a surprising twist, Firth’s wife has confirmed she and the journalist were, in fact, romantically involved.
“A few years ago Colin and Livia privately made the decision to separate. During that time Livia briefly became involved with former friend Mr. Brancaccia. The Firths have since reunited,” the couple wrote in a statement obtained by People magazine. “Subsequently, Mr. Brancaccia carried out a frightening campaign of harassment over several months, much of which is documented. For obvious reasons, the Firths have never had any desire to make this matter public. The reporting this week on this case is understood to be the consequence of a leaked court document. This is greatly to be regretted.”
Brancaccia, who reports for the ANSA news agency, is now under criminal investigation. He recently told the U.K. Times that the couple’s allegations were fabricated.
“She wanted to leave Colin for me. My ‘stalking’ consisted of two messages via WhatsApp after she ended our relationship in June 2016, and an email,” he explained. “I wrote an email to Colin about my relationship with Livia, which I now regret sending, and she filed a complaint against me for stalking out of fear that I could go public with what she had revealed to me about her marriage and work. In a year she sent me hundreds of messages of love, photos, and videos, even a diary.”
Firth married Giuggioli—an Italian film producer—in 1997. They have two teenage sons together.
