March 9 (UPI) — British film star Colin Firth and his wife, producer Livia Giuggioli Friday confirmed Giuggioli engaged in an extramarital affair with a man she has since accused of stalking.
“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’s representative said. “Subsequently, Mr. Brancaccia carried out a frightening campaign of harassment over several months, much of which is documented. As a consequence of his stalking, threats and refusal to desist, the legal complaint was lodged with the Italian authorities.”
The couple’s personal lives were dragged into the spotlight recently when La Repubblica published details regarding the police investigation into Giuggioli’s accusations.
“The reporting this week on this case is understood to be the consequence of a leaked court document,” the pair’s publicist said. “This is greatly to be regretted. It does not serve the interests of any of the parties involved.”
Marco Brancaccia, a 55-year-old ANSA journalist, told the British newspaper The Times Giuggioli made up the allegations against him to hide their 2015-16 affair.
“We were romantically involved. She wanted to leave Colin for me,” he said, further remarking Giuggioli’s marriage to Firth had “been over for years.”
“My ‘stalking’ consisted of two messages via WhatsApp after she ended our relationship in June 2016, and an email,” Brancaccia said. “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, 57, and Giuggioli, 48, exchanged wedding vows in 1997 and are the parents of two teenage sons. Firth also has an adult son named Will from his previous relationship with actress Meg Tilly.
