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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]

3 clusters · 14 sources · 4 days · First seen 6 days ago · Last updated 2 days ago

Del Vecchio family child custody dispute

Entities: Kornelia Strzelichowska · Valentina Maderna · Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio · Sara Soldati · Annamaria Bernardini de Pace

Overview

In late July 2026, Italian influencer Sara Soldati sued former partner Leonardo Del Vecchio Jr., accusing him of restricting access to their one‑year‑old daughter Bianca during a brief meeting on his yacht off Sardinia. Prosecutors in Milan opened a criminal investigation for alleged child abduction, and Del Vecchio secured a €1.1 billion loan from Apollo Global Management to refinance personal exposures and address heir disputes.

On 24 July, a Milan civil court ordered Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio to hand the child over to Soldati, setting an 18:00 deadline on the day of the ruling. His defence contested the allegations, citing a sworn New York statement that refuted claims about his parental suitability and warning of criminal action against anyone disseminating disputed material.

Four days later, on 28 July, Judge Valentina Maderna issued a formal ruling confirming that Leonardo must return Bianca after a 20‑day separation. The defence argued that video evidence presented by Soldati was obtained through manipulative tactics and announced plans to pursue defamation claims and possible criminal actions against those they allege gathered the material.

The case remains high‑profile due to the Luxottica founder’s family prominence and concurrent financial maneuvers surrounding the Del Vecchio estate.

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 5 SOURCES] Judge Valentina Maderna ordered the daughter to be handed over to mother Sara Soldati. (courts ordered)
[● 5 SOURCES] The daughter is about one year old and had been separated from her mother for 20 days. (court documents)
[● 5 SOURCES] Lawyers Annamaria Bernardini de Pace and Luca Procaccini requested the handover. (legal filing)
[● 5 SOURCES] A sworn statement dated 28 July in New York was provided by Kornelia Strzelichowska denying certain statements. (legal document)
[● 5 SOURCES] Del Vecchio’s lawyers described the accusations as false and announced possible criminal action. (lawyers’ statement)
[● 5 SOURCES] The dispute involves allegations of video manipulation and illegal acquisition of statements. (legal filings)

Timeline

2 days ago

[BUSINESS] 8 sources
Leonardo Del Vecchio ordered to give daughter to mother Sara Soldati
Milan judge Valentina Maderna ordered Leonardo Del Vecchio to hand his one‑year‑old daughter to mother Sara Soldati after a 20‑day separation, amid legal challenges over evidence and planned defamation suits.
5 days ago

[BUSINESS] 2 sources
Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio under investigation for child abduction as he secures €1bn loan
Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, son of EssilorLuxottica founder, faces a child‑abduction probe while securing a €1bn loan from Apollo at 8% interest.
6 days ago

[CRIME] 4 sources
Leonardo Del Vecchio Jr. accused of restricting access to infant daughter on Sardinian yacht
Sara Soldati sued ex-partner Leonardo Del Vecchio Jr. in Italy, claiming he let her see their infant daughter only briefly on his Sardinian yacht, sparking a legal dispute over child access.

Sources

calabrianews.it · corcianonline.it · direttasicilia.it · fanpage.it · giltmagazine.it · ilcorrieredelgiorno.it · ilfattonisseno.it · lacronaca24.it · laverita.info · lokkio.it · milano.notizie.it · osservatorioiraq.it · spotandweb.it · viverelombardia.it

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history