'I know you're hurting too': Colin Firth 'wrote a
sympathetic letter to his wife's ex-lover she accused of stalking her'
after he emailed the actor to explain their 'affair'
- Livia Giuggioli claimed 55-year-old Marco Brancaccia made threatening calls
- The Italian journalist also accused of texting and emailing photographs to her
- Brancaccia denied the claims and forced Livia to admit they had an affair in 2015
- Now emerged that her husband, award-winning British actor Colin Firth, replied 'sympathetically' to an email sent to him by Brancaccia with details of the affair
Livia was 27 years old when she
married 36-year-old Firth in a romantic hilltop ceremony at a
13th-century church set among forests and vineyards near her home in
Citta della Pieve in June 1997
Colin
Firth wrote a sympathetic letter in reply to his wife's ex-lover turned
'stalker' telling him 'I know you're suffering too', it has been
claimed.
Film producer and
environmental consultant Livia Giuggioli made headlines when she alleged
that 55-year-old Marco Brancaccia had left her living in fear after
threatening her via telephone calls and texts.
The
Italian journalist was also accused of emailing photographs of Livia to
57-year-old Firth which prompted the actor to take legal action through
the Italian courts.
But in an
astonishing twist an outraged Brancaccia himself stepped into the fray,
publicly refuting claims that he was a stalker and, in effect, forcing
48-year-old Livia to admit that they had embarked on an affair in 2015.
Indeed,
Brancaccia told the Daily Mail exclusively of the 'magic sparkle' he
shared with Livia during what he claims was a passionate 11-month
affair.
And now it has been claimed that when Brancaccia sent details of the affair to Firth, the award-winning actor replied:' You have made me suffer but I know you are suffering too.'
The Sun reports Brancaccia allegedly emailed the King's Speech actor a picture of him with his wife.
Brancaccia
told the Daily Mail their relationship began after a family party at
the Firths' home in Umbria, Northern Italy, in the summer of 2015 and
that at the time Livia had wanted to divorce her famous Oscar-winning
husband.
Brancaccia
himself stepped into the fray, publicly refuting claims that he was a
stalker and, in effect, forcing 48-year-old Livia to admit that they had
embarked on an affair in 2015
'I
fell in love completely with Livia. I felt she was the woman of my
life. I loved her very much, very much,' he said, adding that
accusations of stalking are 'rubbish' and that the real story is that of
'a famous couple trying to cover up her love affair'.
Livia
and Brancaccia have known each other since she was a teenager.
Brancaccia told the Mail that in the past he has even celebrated New
Year with the Firths at their home in Umbria.
Firth met his future wife in Colombia in 1995 during filming of a BBC adaptation of Joseph Conrad's novel Nostromo.
Livia was working as a production assistant on set during filming.
At
the time, Firth was an international heart-throb with millions of
swooning female fans, thanks to his mean and moody portrayal of Mr Darcy
in the BBC's Pride And Prejudice.
More than two decades on, the Firth's marriage was, until this week, widely regarded as one of the strongest in showbiz
He
already had a son — Will Firth, who was born in 1990 and is now an
actor in his own right — after a five-year relationship with actress Meg
Tilly.
Colin and Meg lived for several
years in a log cabin deep in the woods of rural Canada before Firth's
career took him back to London. Their eventual separation was amicable.
Firth later described meeting Livia as 'like meeting somebody that you just feel you're the other half to'.
Livia
was 27 years old when she married 36-year-old Firth in a romantic
hilltop ceremony at a 13th-century church set among forests and
vineyards near her home in Citta della Pieve in June 1997.
A spokesman for the couple said: 'This
is an ongoing criminal prosecution and it would be inappropriate to
comment in this circumstance'
A picnic reception was held in an olive grove on a nearby estate owned by Livia's parents.
More than two decades on, the Firth's marriage was, until last week, widely regarded as one of the strongest in showbiz.
The
couple have two sons, Luca, 16 and Matteo, 13, and have homes in
Chiswick, West London and in Umbria. They also share a passion for
environmental causes and global charity work.
On
Thursday night, as the drama surrounding the stalking allegations
unfolded, a spokesman for the couple released an extraordinarily frank
statement.
'A few years ago Colin and
Livia privately made the decision to separate. During that time Livia
briefly became involved with former friend Mr Brancaccia.
'The
Firths have since reunited. Subsequently, Mr Brancaccia carried out a
frightening campaign of harassment over several months, much of which is
documented.
'For obvious reasons, the Firths have never had any desire to make this matter public.'
Brancaccia's
alleged campaign of harassment is said to have extended from September
2016 to April 2017. He claims, however, that during that period he sent
only two WhatsApp messages to Livia and a single email to Colin.
Details of the police investigation first appeared in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
Brancaccia insists, meanwhile, that all the claims being made about him are 'absolutely untrue.'
'It's
a completely different story,' he says. 'It's a mess, and in the end
somebody will have to pay for this. I'm shocked. It's very sad. It's a
horrible story.'
A spokesman for the
couple said: 'This is an ongoing criminal prosecution and it would be
inappropriate to comment in this circumstance.'
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