Officially named a defense witness at the former Italian prime minister's trial, the 'Ides of March' star is joined in the list by ex-girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.
- November 24, 2011
AceShowbiz -
George Clooney has been named a witness in the sex trial of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The leading man of "The Descendants" was one of the more than 200 names accepted by a Milan court for the case on Wednesday, November 23. He is on the defense list along with ex-girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.
The "Up in the Air" star has been linked to the case since March when he was listed as a potential witness. Piersilvio Cipolotti, one of Berlusconi's attorneys, explained at the time that the actor "was cited in court documents as a guest of Berlusconi at one of the dinners the premier organized and we want to ask him to confirm this."
After learning that he has been placed on a list of potential witnesses, Clooney admitted that he was "stupefied" by the request. In a statement he released via his representative, the 50-year-old said, "It's very strange. I have met Berlusconi only once, and even then it was only to solicit his help for Darfur."
The trial, which was adjourned until December 2, stems from allegations that Berlusconi paid Karima el-Mahroug, who is nicknamed "Ruby the Heart Stealer", for sex when she was 17. The 75-year-old is also charged with abuse of power for getting Ruby released from police custody after she got arrested on suspicion of theft.
