Italian fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni has been acquitted of aggravated fraud charges, bringing to an end a two-year controversy over the promotion of charity-linked Christmas cakes and Easter eggs. A Milan court cleared Ferragni and two co-defendants after a fast-track trial, rejecting prosecutors’ claims that consumers had been deliberately misled. Conviction could have resulted in a prison sentence, but the judge ruled there was no aggravating fraud.

The case, dubbed “pandorogate,” stemmed from the 2022 sale of pink, special-edition pandoro cakes branded with Ferragni’s name and linked to a children’s hospital in Turin. While consumers believed proceeds would support the hospital, it later emerged the producer had made a one-off €50,000 donation before sales began. Ferragni, whose companies earned about €1 million from the promotion, later pledged to donate an equivalent amount to the hospital.

Although acquitted, Ferragni had previously faced a €1 million fine from Italy’s competition authority and agreed to further charity payments over similar claims involving Easter eggs. The scandal damaged her public image and personal life, including the breakdown of her marriage to rapper Fedez. It also prompted Italy to tighten transparency rules for influencers involved in fundraising initiatives.

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