It looks like Anne Hathaway dumped her boyfriend of four years at just the right time. Italian “businessman” Raffaello Follieri, 29, was just arrested yesterday for charges of money laundering and wire fraud. He also told a whopper of a lie to an undercover agent that he was CFO of the Vatican and could get church land cheap:
Manhattan prosecutors say an Italian businessman who has been romantically linked to movie star Anne Hathaway has been arrested on wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering charges.
Raffaello Follieri is due in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday.
He is accused of falsely telling an investor that he had been appointed as the chief financial officer of the Vatican.
Authorities say he claimed that, as a result of that connection, he and others could obtain properties of the Catholic church in the United States at a substantial discount to fair market value.
Follieri runs a Catholic charity that claims its purpose is vaccinating children in the third world, but it sounds like it was just a front for a money laundering scheme. He was sued in 2007 and accused of embezzling millions from a charity organization he ran with billionaire Ron Burkle. That suit was settled out of court for a rumored $1.3 million. Follieri’s next brush with the law was after he bounced a check for $215,000 in March. The charges were dropped when he eventually made good on the funds.
Hathaway has not confirmed the split personally or through her reps, although even People magazine claimed to have a source stating it was true. She said on an episode of The View that aired last Thursday that “I’m kind of somber today.” When asked by Joy Behar if she had mood swings she said “Let’s not go there.”
It sounds like Hathaway’s personal wealth would have been at risk if she stayed with this creepy charmer. Her film Get Smart ruled the box office its opening weekend with $38 million in gross revenue. Her career can only rise, especially now that she’s gotten rid of the dead weight.
Anne Hathaway and Raffaello Follieri are shown at the Waverly Inn on 3/9/08. She is also shown in NY on 6/17 (in the leather pants) and 6/19, thanks to WENN.
That guy is such a creep! Anne must have known that in the 4 years they were together, and that she continued to stay with him makes me question her judgment. Of course, there are those rumors that he’s her beard….
Anne left right on time.
I think Hathaway just got the lesbian whisper campaign because she went to Vassar or one of those all-girl colleges. But yes, she should have dumped this loser years ago. I really hope she wasn’t “investing” with him.
Talk about dodging a bullet.
He looks mega mafioso to me. She probably should just stick to chicks!
Just looking at him you can tell there is something off. If he is the CFO of the Vatican, I am the CFO of Chase Manhattan!
I think Anne was sucking off his finances. The party is over so bye bye!
Anne is on the cover of Self magazine (July edition) and the interview with her is actually really good. She seems very self-aware, intelligent, and introspective and although she acknowledges some struggles with self-esteem and maybe mild depression it seems that she is really on a good path now spiritually and emotionally. Usually the starlets that Self puts on the cover drive me crazy – but Anne actually impressed me. At the time I read it I had already heard rumors that she’d dumped this cad, and although they didn’t even reference him in the interview, it was obvious from the content that she has turned over a new leaf. She has a new fan in me.
does anybody know who makes that white coat of hers?!?! i love it!!
I wish I could speak directly with Ms. Hathaway. I, too, was conned by the same man – not literally – but the same type of man. He was a con of the same cloth, now serving 8.5 years in Federal prison for his crimes! I would share with her to forgive herself for trusting & believing in this guy and not listening to friends like Kate Hudson who tried to help her. She thought she knew the person. I did the same thing! What she knew was what Follieri wanted her to see. He was never honest. He made her feel HE was the victim. HE was the one others owed money to. HE was wronged. He had answers for EVERY question and given his length of success, he was as good as the guy who harmed me. He was VERY plausible. She will recover and lucky her, she has means. I lost over $200,000 and my retirement was decimated. I had to start over but I stopped being a victim. I now speak to groups about cons, sharing ways to protect against people like this. I feel for her but glad she droped the guy
Sassyspank: Her coat is Roberto Cavalli!