- - Influencer Chiara Ferragni Acquitted of Fraud Charges in Pandoro Christmas Cake Trial

Luke ChinmanJanuary 14, 2026 at 9:42 PM

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Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP via Getty

Chiara Ferragni -

Influencer Chiara Ferragni was acquitted over aggravated fraud charges that stemmed from a charitable collaboration to sell branded Pandoro Christmas cakes in 2022

French outlets previously reported that the Milan Prosecutor’s Office requested a sentence of one year and eight months for the content creator

Ferragni first rose to fame online with a fashion blog in 2009 and became the first fashion blogger to be on the cover of Vogue in 2015

Influencer Chiara Ferragni was acquitted by an Italian judge on Wednesday, Jan. 14, for aggravated fraud charges that stem from a charitable collaboration to sell branded Pandoro Christmas cakes in 2022.

"The nightmare is over," the internet personality told reporters after the verdict, per Reuters. "I am very happy to take control of my life and get my life back. It has been a very difficult two years. I had faith in justice, and justice has been done."

The Milan Prospector’s Office previously requested a sentence of one year and eight months for the 38-year-old content creator during a pre-trial hearing in November, according to French24, L'Unione Sarda, and La Presse.

Ferragni — who first rose to fame through her fashion blog in 2009, becoming the first fashion blogger to be on the cover of Vogue six years later — previously faced scrutiny for selling Pandoro Christmas cakes in 2022 as part of a collaboration with Balocco, an Italian food company Balocco, the boxes of which promised that both she and the company “support the Regina Margherita hospital in Turin.”

The following year, the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) sanctioned Ferragni for allegedly misleading the public, claiming that the box’s messaging — which was also shared to her social media accounts — made it seem that each purchase of a Pandoro Christmas cake would benefit the hospital, when Balocco actually only made one €50,000 donation.

Chiara Ferragni/Instagram

Chiara Ferragni

Ferragni first responded to the fraud claims in a video she shared to Instagram, calling the allegations “disproportionate and unfair” and a “communication error.” She also vowed to donate the €1 million fee she received from Balocco for the collaboration to the hospital.

By the end of 2024, Ferragni had reportedly paid a total of €3.4 million in the process of settling and resolving investigations surrounding several of her charitable donations — including the €1 million she paid to the hospital, a €1 million fine from the AGCM and another €1.2 million to a children’s charity to settle an antitrust case over Ferragni-branded Easter eggs.

In May of that year, Ferragni’s company also put out a statement vowing to “refrain from carrying out operations in which commercial activities are connected to charitable activities.”

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Chiara Ferragni/Instagram

Chiara Ferragni

While the influencer kept a low profile on social media in 2024, she returned the following year to promote collaborations with luxury brands and serve as the face of several regional beauty magazines.

Earlier in January, Ferragni shared a series of posts to Instagram from a trip to Colombia, where she rang in the new year.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”