Uan interview without filters, between tears and unpublished revelations. Sabrina Salerno sat opposite Francesca Fagnani in the last episode of Beaststhe Rai 2 talk show that has made frankness its trademark. And the showgirl, sexy icon of Italian music of the Eighties, did not hold back: from a childhood marked by the absence of his father to overwhelming successpassing through the relationship with Silvio Berlusconi and a secret love for an Italian singer who never had the courage to name.
Sabrina Salerno, a Beasts recounts his childhood without a father
The most touching moment of the interview came when the presenter asked Sabrina Salerno to talk about her childhood. The tears came suddenlywhile the singer looked back on those difficult years: «I grew up with an elderly aunt because my mother was 19 and didn’t feel like raising me. My father was 25 and I only met him when I was 12».
A childhood marked by the absence of both parents, which forced little Sabrina to grow up quickly: «When my aunt died, I went to live with my grandmother and only as an adult did I go to live with my mother. She is different from me, she has suffered through life. At 16 I went to live with her because she had had a very big problem and I didn’t want to leave her alone. I have always been the mother, not the daughter.”
To Francesca Fagnani’s question about how she managed to track down her father, the showgirl’s response was direct: «I called my father when I was 12: his wife answered. I told her that I didn’t want anything from him, I just wanted to know who had brought me into the world. He was a career man, he had just had his second daughter and he agreed to meet me. He never felt anything for me, he even told my husband.”
Sabrina Salerno at Belve (Maurizio D’Avanzo/MDPhoto/IPA)
DNA test and recognition denied
But the story doesn’t end here. At 44 years old, Sabrina Salerno decided to undergo a DNA test to prove once and for all that she was the daughter of that man who had always denied her. «When I was 44 I received an email from my sister – my father’s daughter – who sent me her number so I could call her. We talked, and knowing that I was recognized as a sister by her made me happy».
But when the sister spoke to the father about their conversation, the man reacted very badly: «He made up a series of horrible lies about me. He claimed that it was an urban legend that he was my father. When I found out, I got so angry that I asked for a DNA test: I wanted to prove that I was telling the truth.”
The day of official recognition was bittersweet: «He hugged me in front of the notary, but once in the parking lot he asked me to remain silent». The singer explained the reasons for that request: «My father was a prominent man in finance, he was even asked to do politics. I have always protected his identity».
And even today, years later, the showgirl bears her mother’s surname: «I could have taken my father’s when I got older, but I didn’t want to». Despite everything, Sabrina Salerno managed to forgive: «I forgave him. In the last months of his life I loved him. When he died I cried a lot».
Sabrina Salerno and Berlusconi: «Never been his lover»
Among the topics addressed in the interview with Beastsimpossible not to talk about the relationship with Silvio Berlusconialways at the center of gossip and indiscretions. Francesca Fagnani got straight to the point: “How much truth is there in that gossip?”. The singer’s response was clear: «I was never his lover». And he added: «They created an aura of mystery about this thing. He was fascinated by beauty, I was a little cheeky. He imposed me on the program Highly rewarded. If I’m here today it’s also thanks to him, I am very grateful to him».
Sabrina Salerno wanted to clarify that their meetings were limited: «I haven’t seen Berlusconi very many times. If I am here today it is also thanks to him and I am very grateful to him, but I have never been his lover. I have never been anyone’s lover in life». The professional relationship with the then owner of Mediaset was fundamental for his career: «For me it was important: he was fascinating, brilliant, he was fundamental. The rumor of our flirtation didn’t help or hurt me. I had a musical career after my time at Mediaset. I returned to TV only as an established singer, when I was now a star, wanted by Antonio Ricci.”
The success and weight of “sabrinite”
Speaking about his success in the Eighties, the artist confessed that that period was more complicated than it seems from the outside: «The kind of success I had wasn’t exciting, it was shocking. Something bigger than me had happened to me». The singer recalled the “sabrinite” phenomenon, explaining that she was perceived as a “child star”, unaware of his own sensuality: «Generally those types of songs are designed to be disposable, mine have lasted for 40 years». A success built on hits like Boyswhich have become soundtracks for an entire generation.
The secret love for an Italian singer
But the most surprising revelation of the evening came towards the end of the interview, when Sabrina Salerno confessed: «I fell in love with an Italian singer who made music history». Francesca Fagnani, with her unmistakable style, immediately asked: “Tell us who you are?”. The showgirl’s response was cryptic: «No. He is much loved, someone who does stadiums». At that point the journalist mentioned a specific name: «Baglioni». And Sabrina Salerno, after an eloquent pause and with a hesitant smilehe tried to gloss over: «She is terrible Fagnani…».
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