A Milan court has ordered journalist Giulia Cortese to pay Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni €5,000 (approximately $5,400) for mocking her height in a tweet from October 2021, which the court categorized as “body shaming.”
In addition to the damages, Cortese received a suspended fine of €1,200 ($1,300) for the remark made on Twitter, now called X.
Reacting to the court’s decision, Cortese stated on X, “Italy’s government has a serious problem with freedom of expression and journalistic dissent.” This legal dispute started three years ago after a social media clash between Cortese and Meloni, who were then leaders of the opposition Brothers of Italy party.
The conflict escalated when Cortese tweeted a manipulated photo of Meloni with an image of fascist leader Benito Mussolini in the background. Cortese intensified her criticism with a subsequent tweet: “You don’t scare me, Giorgia Meloni. After all, you’re only 1.2 meters (4 feet) tall. I can’t even see you.”
Although media sources report Meloni’s height as between 1.58 meters (5 feet 2 inches) and 1.63 meters (5 feet 4 inches), the tweet led to the lawsuit. Cortese has the option to appeal the ruling. Meloni’s lawyer has indicated that any damages collected will be donated to charity.
Cortese also commented on the broader implications for press freedom in Italy, noting, “Let’s hope for better days ahead. We won’t give up!” Her comments come from Italy’s ranking dropping five places to 46th in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders.
Meloni has previously taken legal action against other journalists, including fining author Roberto Saviano €1,000 ($1,088) for an insult made on television in 2021 concerning her strict immigration policies.
