ITALY legend Francesco Totti may be coming out of retirement, but he’s been making headlines even before that.
The 48-year-old is going through a very public divorce with his ex-wife, Ilary Blasi. Here’s what we know about her.
Who is Ilary Blasi?
Ilary Blasi is an Italian television host, former model, and former child actress.
She was also well-known for her relationship with former Roma player Francesco Totti, which lasted until 2022.
Born on April 28, 1981, Blasi was introduced to show business by her mother.
At the age of 3, she appeared in her first TV ad, and by age 5, she made her film debut with a small role in David & David.
Over the years, she appeared in various TV segments.
However, her real television career began in September 2001 when she became one of the six members of the dance troupe, the “Letterine,” on the show Passaparola.
Her first commercial after joining Passaparola was in June 2002, promoting Bilboa sun tanning products.
By 2007, she had modelled for Vogue’s eyewear catalogue, appearing in both print and web campaigns.
Ilary married Totti on June 19, 2005, at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli.
Their wedding was televised, with proceeds donated to charity.
Later that year, on November 6, they welcomed their first child, Cristian.
This was then followed by their daughter, Chanel, on May 13, 2007.
Over the years, they were dubbed “the Italian Beckhams,” with their private lives frequently featured in Italian magazines and tabloids.
On March 10, 2016, they had their third child, Isabel.
However, on July 11, 2022, it was announced that Totti and Blasi had separated.
Since her split from Totti, Ilary has been in a relationship with German entrepreneur Bastian Muller.
Blasi appeared to confirm the romance as she posted another shot of a fancy dinner table to her story, and tagged Muller’s account.
Muller himself is private on the platform, with very little known about him.
The pair enjoyed a romantic getaway to Paris, according to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport.
They are also said to have recently jetted away to Thailand together.
Blasi has not publicly confirmed the relationship, but tagging Muller in her Insta story appears to suggest the pair are together.
What happened to Totti and Ilary?
In August, Ilary called Totti’s current partner, Noemi Bocchi, to testify in court as a witness.
After they split the former Roma star claimed he found evidence of Blasi having an alleged affair when looking at her phone.
The TV personality and the footballer have been trying to establish who cheated first and when, as part of their divorce proceedings.
In court documents, Noemi was referred to as the “third wheel” and cited as one of the reasons for the separation.
However, personal trainer Cristiano Iovino claimed that he had an “intimate relationship” with Ilary.
He added, “We were together when work commitments allowed it. We’re talking about the end of 2021”.
Meanwhile, Totti raised the stakes by summoning his own witnesses.
He called upon a Mediaset manager, whom he claims flirted with his ex-wife.
The footballer also called his close friend, Alex Nuccetelli, who is being sued for defamation by Ilary for attributing this latest relationship to her, a claim she categorically denies.
In 2024, Ilary shared details of her marriage to Totti in a Netflix documentary.
She described step by step how she went from having coffee with a mysterious man to the end of her love story.
The documentary series, Unica, is available on the streaming platform and outlines their relationship and turbulent breakup.
While Totti denies cheating with Noemi in the series, Unica has been dubbed Ilary’s “revenge” film.
The former Roma number 10 responded tersely, saying, “Do and say what you want,” likely a reaction coordinated with his legal team as he awaits the outcome of the legal dispute with his ex-wife.
