Legendary film producer Carlo Ponti, the husband of screen icon Sophia Loren, has died at the age of 94. Ponti passed away overnight in a hospital in Geneva, Switzerland, due to pulmonary complications, his family announced on Wednesday.
Ponti, who was born near Milan in 1913, initially studied law and worked as a lawyer before transitioning into film production. He is best known for producing the Oscar-winning film 'Doctor Zhivago' (1965), as well as other notable works including 'Blow-Up', 'The Cassandra Crossing', 'The Verdict', and 'The Squeeze'. He collaborated with renowned directors such as Federico Fellini, Jean-Luc Godard, and David Lean.
Ponti met Loren in the early 1950s when she was a teenager, though he was still married to his first wife, Giuliana. Despite the significant age gap and media scrutiny, the couple maintained a secret relationship. Ponti's lawyers obtained a divorce in Mexico, and the pair were married by proxy in 1957, with two male attorneys standing in for them. However, due to strict Italian divorce laws and opposition from the Catholic Church, Ponti was charged with bigamy and Loren with being a concubine.
The family has requested privacy during this difficult time. Ponti had been hospitalized for about ten days before his death.
