In a landmark verdict concluding Italy’s high-profile “PandoroGate” scandal, fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni has been fully acquitted of aggravated fraud charges by a Milan court. The ruling brings to a close a two-year legal battle that captivated the nation and prompted widespread scrutiny of influencer marketing practices.
The case centered on Ferragni’s promotion of specialty holiday products—a pink pandoro Christmas cake and Easter eggs—that consumers believed would generate charitable donations. While packaging suggested proceeds would benefit Turin’s Regina Margherita children’s hospital, investigators discovered manufacturer Balocco had made a single €50,000 donation prior to product launch, with Ferragni’s companies ultimately earning approximately €1 million from the campaign.
Judge Beatrice Giulia Elizabeth Marzi dismissed prosecutors’ request for a 20-month prison sentence, determining the fraud lacked aggravating circumstances. This assessment was influenced by consumer group Codacons withdrawing their complaint after Ferragni committed to compensating misled customers and donating to a gender violence charity.
Outside the courthouse, an emotional Ferragni described the judgment as “the end of a nightmare,” adding: “The last two years have been very hard. I had faith in justice, and justice has been done.” Despite her legal victory, the scandal has exacted significant personal and professional tolls, including the dissolution of her marriage to rapper Fedez last year.
The controversy has catalyzed regulatory reforms in Italy’s influencer industry, prompting authorities to implement stricter transparency requirements for commercial partnerships with charitable components. While Ferragni avoids criminal conviction, she previously paid €1 million in fines to Italy’s competition authority and €1.2 million to settle separate complaints regarding the Easter egg promotion.