'Lies' made me file for divorce, says Berlusconi's estranged wife

Veronica Lario decided to divorce Italian PM after he failed to tell her he would attend model's birthday party, says book.

The estranged wife of the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has claimed his alleged lies pushed her to file for divorce as he became embroiled in a sex scandal. In the book, Tendenza Veronica, (Veronica's Trend) – published today – Veronica Lario describes how she made the decision in April after Berlusconi failed to mention that he would attend a Naples birthday party for an 18-year-old model. His attendance at Noemi Letizia's party was later reported in the media, sparking a series of allegations over his purported fondness for young women. Berlusconi has denied having any improper relationship with Letizia or any other women. The book published today is a revised edition of one first published in 2004 by the journalist Maria Latella. In the new edition, she quotes 53-year-old Lario as saying the Naples incident was the latest problem in her relationship with her husband. "It was the latest lie," Lario said. "Better, then, to try to seek a last way to respect myself – better to divorce. He put me in this situation." Lario, a former actor with whom Berlusconi has three children, said his actions were embarrassing him on a global level. "I cannot be his babysitter, and I cannot stop him any more from making himself ridiculous in front of the world," she said. "I'm done." Lario's lawyer was not available for comment. Lario caused a political storm when she announced her decision to divorce. Both the Italian and international media have since competed for new allegations linking the 72-year-old Berlusconi to models and even a prostitute. Berlusconi has denied ever paying a woman for sex, and has dismissed the allegations as lies fabricated by the opposition and "left-leaning" media. He has maintained his popularity in Italy despite the scandal and the centre-right coalition which won elections last year has remained stable. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/26/silvio-berlusconi-veronica-lario