Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced the end of her nearly 10-year relationship with television journalist Andrea Giambruno due to his recent sexist comments made both on and off the air.
In a statement shared on her social media accounts, Meloni expressed, “My relationship with Andrea Giambruno, which lasted almost 10 years, ends here. Our paths have diverged for some time, and the time has come to acknowledge it.” The couple shares a seven-year-old daughter.
Who Is Andrea Giambruno, Meloni’s Now Ex-Partner?
Giambruno is a presenter of a news program broadcasted by Mediaset, which is a part of the MFE media group owned by the heirs of the late Silvio Berlusconi, the former premier and an ally of Giorgia Meloni.
In recent weeks, Giambruno faced criticism after off-air excerpts from his program were aired by another Mediaset show. These excerpts revealed his use of foul language and inappropriate advances toward a female colleague. He was heard saying, “Why didn’t I meet you before?” to her. In another recording, Giambruno boasted about an affair and suggested that female colleagues could secure work by participating in group sex.
Giambruno had already garnered widespread criticism in August for comments perceived as victim-blaming in response to a gang rape case. He remarked during his program, “If you go dancing, you have every right to get drunk – there shouldn’t be any kind of misunderstanding and any kind of problem – but if you avoid getting drunk and losing your senses, you might also avoid running into certain problems and coming across a wolf.”
In the face of public backlash and political condemnation, Giambruno attempted to clarify his stance, stating that he did not justify the act of rape, describing it as ‘deplorable,’ and referring to rapists as ‘beasts.’ He also emphasized that he “never said that it is legitimate for men to rape women who are drunk.” Despite his attempts at clarification, his comments continued to draw significant criticism from various quarters.
La mia relazione con Andrea Giambruno, durata quasi dieci anni, finisce qui. Lo ringrazio per gli anni splendidi che abbiamo trascorso insieme, per le difficoltà che abbiamo attraversato, e per avermi regalato la cosa più importante della mia vita, che è nostra figlia Ginevra.… pic.twitter.com/1IpvfN8MgA
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) October 20, 2023