A Milan judge has ordered Italian journalist Giulia Cortese to pay £4,200 in damages to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for body-shaming her on social media.
The ruling, issued on Wednesday, also includes a suspended fine of £1,000 for Cortese, who was found to have violated norms against body shaming through two posts.
In October 2021, while Meloni was still in opposition, Cortese shared a digitally altered image on X (formerly Twitter) that depicted the far-right politician standing in front of a bookshelf with an image of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini in the background. Meloni condemned the doctored image as “unique gravity” and announced her intent to pursue legal action.
Following the incident, Cortese further disparaged Meloni by referring to her as a “little woman” in another post and commenting about Meloni’s height, claiming she was “only 1.2 meters tall.” Meloni’s actual height is reported to be between 5 feet 2 inches and 5 feet 4 inches, although she has not officially confirmed it.
In response to the ruling, Cortese criticized the Italian government, accusing it of having a “serious problem with freedom of expression and journalistic dissent.” She has hinted at the possibility of appealing the court’s decision.
This case is not the first instance of Meloni taking legal action against public criticism. Her administration has faced allegations from the centre-left opposition of using legal measures to suppress journalists and dissenting voices.
Meloni’s lawyer stated that if the court’s decision is upheld and the damages are paid, the Prime Minister intends to donate £4,200 to charity.
