Anne Hathaway has sparked renewed interest in her past relationship with disgraced Italian businessman Raffaello Follieri after a lighthearted remark about Italian accents during a promotional interview for the upcoming Devil Wears Prada sequel.
During a Ladbible podcast interview, the 43-year-old actress joked that Italian accents “scar” her, a comment fans quickly linked to her former partner. Hathaway said, “I actually think Italian accents are really sexy, but I’m kind of scarred in this respect.” Co-star Emily Blunt responded, “That’s true,” as Hathaway added, “I do actually love my name. When I go to Italy, and I meet people, they go ‘Anna Atherway’. But that’s not sexy.”
Hathaway dated Follieri in the mid-2000s while he posed as a wealthy property developer with Vatican connections. In 2008, he was arrested and later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and defrauding investors of millions of dollars. He served about three and a half years in federal prison before being deported to Italy in 2012.
Although Hathaway was never implicated, the scandal dominated headlines at the time. She cooperated with authorities and quickly distanced herself from Follieri, later describing the period as devastating. She has rarely spoken about the relationship publicly until now.
Since the breakup, Hathaway has kept her personal life private. She married actor and jewellery designer Adam Shulman in 2012, and the couple have two children. Her career has flourished, with roles in The Dark Knight Rises, Les Misérables (for which she won an Oscar), and now the Devil Wears Prada sequel.
