LUCIANO PAVAROTTI - PAVAROTTI WIDOW ATTACKS MEDIA

PAVAROTTI WIDOW ATTACKS MEDIA

Luciano Pavarotti's widow has used her first interview since the late opera singer's death to insist she is not disputing his will with her step-daughters.

Media reports have speculated that 37-year-old Nicoletta Mantovani has benefited unfairly from the will after it was claimed that Pavarotti was ill when he made it.

But Ms Mantovani told RAI television that there was "no disagreement at all" between her and the daughters.

She attacked elements of the press and television who were trying to "incriminate the relationship" as behaving in a "truly unseemly" manner and insisted Pavarotti was not mentally impaired when the will was made.

Ms Mantovani revealed that she suffered from multiple sclerosis in the interview and said her relationship with Pavarotti was not under pressure when he died.

There had been reports that the singer was suicidal because of the alleged unravelling of his marriage, but this was rejected by his second wife.

"Luciano was someone who took care of everything in every sense. He took care of the affective side and the material side, meaning he left enough for everyone," the Reuters news agency quoted her as saying.

Pavarotti died on September 6th after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer.