Italian fashion influencer and entrepreneur Chiara Ferragni could face a prison sentence of one year and eight months if convicted of alleged fraud over charity endorsement deals, prosecutors told a Milan court on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old, who has been on trial since September, faces charges of aggravated fraud relating to promotions of a Christmas pandoro cake and Easter eggs, marketed as raising funds for charitable causes. Ferragni has denied all wrongdoing, insisting she acted “in good faith,” according to her lawyer, Giuseppe Iannaccone.
Leaving the courthouse, Ferragni told journalists she felt “confident… I can’t say anymore.” A verdict is expected in January.
Under Italian law, aggravated fraud carries a sentence of one to five years. Ferragni opted for a fast-track trial, which could reduce the sentence, limiting her maximum penalty to two years and three months. Prison terms under two years in Italy are rarely enforced.
The allegations focus on Ferragni’s 2022 endorsement of a pandoro cake linked to fundraising for children at a Turin hospital. Investigations revealed that while shoppers were led to believe purchases benefited the hospital, it only received a 50,000-euro donation. Italy’s communications watchdog, AGCOM, fined two of Ferragni’s companies one million euros, and the cake manufacturer Balocco 420,000 euros for unfair commercial practices.
Earlier promotions of Ferragni-branded Easter eggs from 2021 and 2022 tied to social initiatives are also under scrutiny.
Ferragni rose to fame with her 2009 fashion blog, The Blonde Salad, and later launched her eponymous fashion label. Forbes named her the top fashion influencer in 2017. Despite building a global brand and becoming a Harvard Business School case study, the fraud allegations have cast a shadow over her reputation and endorsements.
Ferragni, who split from husband and musician Fedez in 2024, described the trial as a “difficult phase” of her life, speaking to journalists outside court earlier this month.
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