LUCIANO PAVAROTTI - PAVAROTTI'S WIDOW SUES PALS FOR DEFAMATION

The widow of opera star LUCIANO PAVAROTTI is suing two of the late tenor's close pals for defamation in a $44 million (GBP22 million) lawsuit. Nicoletta Mantovani's lawyer revealed on Monday (26Nov07) that the 37-year-old had filed the lawsuit against Franca Corfini Strata and Lidia La Marca in October (07), after refusing to tolerate speculation about the state of her marriage to the star. Strata is the wife of Pavorotti's dietitian, while Marca is the wife of conductor Leone Magiera, who frequently performed with the star. Pavarotti died after a battle with pancreatic cancer on 6 September (07), aged 71, and Mantovani was alleged to have been feuding with Pavarotti's three grown daughters from his first marriage over the singer's will. Friends of the tenor - who had four-year-old daughter Alice with Mantovani - also claimed the Italian maestro was unhappy in his second marriage towards the end of his life - a claim Mantovani is disputing. Attorney Anna Maria Bernini says, "Since the comments did not cease - and were, in fact, reiterated - Mantovani had no choice but to file the lawsuit. "She is doing it to protect her sense of respectability - privately for the sake of her daughter and the memory of the maestro; publicly for her image and any future professional activity." Mantovani is seeking $22 million (GBP11 million) from each woman and intends to donate any winnings to charity, according to Bernini. A hearing for the lawsuit has yet to be set.