ITALY: Lake Como buzzes with rumours of wedding of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, as the world's media descends upon the quiet Italian town of Cernobbio

Record ID: 575433

  • Title: ITALY: Lake Como buzzes with rumours of wedding of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, as the world's media descends upon the quiet Italian town of Cernobbio
  • Date: 23rd March 2006
  • Summary: NEWSPAPER COVER SHOWING PICTURE OF ANGELINA JOLIE AND BRAD PITT FROM THE MOVIE, "MR. AND MRS. SMITH"
  • Embargoed: 7th April 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA7E0Q7K8RHJER3KXYWYGF0YF2G
  • Story Text: Rumors that Hollywood sweethearts Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt could marry on the shores of Lake Como this weekend have transformed even quiet Italian villagers into star-struck gossip fans. The weeks-long speculation centres on the lakeside villa of Pitt's friend and fellow actor George Clooney, where the couple were expected to arrive on Thursday or Friday, and the nearby luxury hotel of Villa d'Este, once a romantic hideaway for stars such as Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra.
    Pitt and Jolie have not announced any wedding plans.
    Since his messy separation from actress Jennifer Aniston, Pitt and Jolie have been spotted shopping in Paris and preaching global justice at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Jolie is pregnant with Pitt's child.
    Although consistently denied by Brad Pitt's publicist, Cindy Guagenti, that the wedding of Pitt and Angelina Jolie was going to happen, the media wasn't taking "no" for an answer as American and European press arrived in the picturesque Northern Italian town of Como.
    The local newspapers announced that the world's media were creating a "moat" around the town but the local residents didn't seem to mind or really care.
    A young girl and her mother discussed the likelihood of the marriage of the Hollywood power couple on a boat on Lake Como. The mother said she heard they wanted to get married on the Renzo Lucia boat. But the young girl disagreed saying, "but she is expecting, I don't think she can go on the boat because the lake doing like this" while gesturing the movement of the boat.
    Given that Angelina Jolie is approximately seven months pregnant with Pitt's child, the media doesn't want to risk missing the marriage of "Brangelina" who were last spotted in Paris on Thursday (March 16).
    Little action was happening at the George Clooney's cream-coloured villa at Laglio, a sleepy hamlet nestled between the lake and surrounding deep green hills.
    The lights were out and some of the window shutters closed, and only brand new metal screens protecting the adjacent park against nosy onlookers hinted that something was in the works.
    A janitor at the villa said Clooney was not there and that he didn't know of any wedding.
    "I don't think they will come. What they are doing is all disinformation," a local resident said.
    The Mayoress of Cernobbio, Ms. Simona Saladini who was preparing to officiate civil weddings at the City Hall later in the day didn't confirm or deny the wedding,
    "We have a [civil ceremony] wedding but only for two Italians and we are still waiting for another couple of hours and then we'll see how the novel will go," she said as she sat in a beauty salon getting her hair done.
    The local Italian couple received global attention as they got married in the local City Hall.
    When asked about the talk of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie getting married, the bride, Alessia, expressed surprise and a hint of resentment. "They [Pitt and Jolie] live in Paris, it is so beautiful there, why do they not get married in Paris? Besides, I chose first [the location] and we are from Cernobbio!"
    The local town square was the hub of activity as photographers took pictures of reporters and satellite trucks to show the media circus Even the guests at a nearby hotel started taking pictures of the media frenzy.
    Some speculate that local tourism operators invented the wedding rumours to fill up hotel rooms.
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