Lollo vows revenge on toy boy

22 May 2015 - 02:06 By ©The Daily Telegraph

Gina Lollobrigida, the Italian screen siren once called the most beautiful woman in the world, has pledged to bring to justice her former toy boy lover for, she says, conning her into marriage to inherit her £35-million estate. Javier Rigau y Rafols, a Spanish businessman who is 34 years her junior, was charged with fraud and forgery when his trial opened in Rome on Tuesday. Lollobrigida, 87, accused Rigau of tricking her into signing documents that enabled him to marry her by proxy at a civil ceremony in Spain.The actress, who had no idea the ceremony was taking place, was allegedly represented by a 72-year-old Spanish woman."She's angry and combative," said her lawyer. "She will definitely be asking for damages, though we have not decided on the amount."He tricked her into signing a power-of-attorney document which he claimed was to do with a legal quarrel she was having with a Spanish lawyer. But instead it related to getting married."The couple were together for more than 20 years after meeting at a party in Monte Carlo.They split up in 2007 and it was only in 2013 that she discovered she had "married" Rigau in absentia in November 2010 in a registry office in Barcelona.Rigau, 53, has denied swindling his former lover, claiming that she willingly consented to the marriage ceremony but had wanted to keep it quiet to avoid publicity.Rigau claims she happily signed all the necessary documents and had agreed to be married by proxy.Lollobrigida starred in romantic comedies and big-screen epics opposite Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis.She once said: "I've had many lovers and still have romances. I am very spoiled. All my life, I've had too many admirers." ..

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