The downfall of the world’s biggest influencer.

Fashion girlies all know the name Chiara Ferragni.

Through the lens of social media, the Italian fashion blogger seems to have it all. A chic life in a penthouse in Milan. Front row seats to the biggest designer catwalks in the world. A marriage to rapper Fedez. Two perfectly dressed, well-behaved children. A reality TV series on Prime. Never a hair out of place. And 29 million followers on Instagram.

Some might call Chiara Ferragni's life perfect.

But a string of controversies have been quietly chipping away at the veneer of the seemingly blessed influencer's world over the past year. And while Ferragni's ability to sell 'the dream' turned into a big payday for her, it now seems that much of it may have been built on a rocky foundation of mistakes and mishandled manoeuvres. 

Pandoro-gate.

With a clothing range, a reality TV series and several brand partnerships under her belt, Ferragni has been cultivating an incredibly lucrative empire for herself for a while now. However, she recently became embroiled in a partnership snafu that threatened to not only shake her legitimacy as an influencer but shake her reputation.

In 2022, Ferragni partnered with Balocco, a company that made Pandoro cakes — a classic Italian treat gifted and eaten at Christmastime. The limited edition Pandoro Pink Christmas cake was designed by Ferragni and marketed as philanthropic venture, with proceeds from each purchase intended to be donated to a children's hospital in Turin, Italy.

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A post shared by Chiara Ferragni ✨ (@chiaraferragni)

However, since the promotion ran, officials paid close attention to how the revenue generated (it's alleged Ferragni made around $1.9 million AUD) stacked up against the donations made to the charity. While the distributing company Balocco allege they paid $83,000 AUD before the promotion ran, figures on what was donated after that are... a little hazy.

As a result, an investigation was launched and Ferragni was fined $1.8 million for false advertising. She made a public apology for her "mistake" before promising to donate a sum of money to the children's hospital.

"My mistake was in good faith... Unfortunately you can make mistakes, I am sorry I did it and I realise I could have guarded better," she said.

"In the coming days, I will speak with Queen Margaret to understand how the hospital will use the money donated by me and I will periodically tell you updates. My mistake remains but I want to make sure that something constructive and positive can be generated from this mistake."

Since then, many of her other charitable partnerships and marketing promotions have been called into question. It's safe to say that this cake-gate was the first step in rocking her picture perfect influencer image.

The end of a high-profile marriage.

Six years ago, rapper Federico Leonardo "Fedez" Lucia and Ferragni were married in what can only be described as a fairytale wedding. No expense was sparred in the lavish event with guests flown privately to the location in Sicily to celebrate #TheFerragnez.

Under a canopy of tiny, twinkling lights, dressed in custom Dior, Ferragni married the man of her dreams with their then-seven-month-old son, Leone, by their side.

In 2021, they welcomed their second child, Vittoria. Through Instagram they were a glamorous couple with two perfect children.

Later that year they launched their Amazon Prime reality TV series, The Ferragnez, which promised to give followers an even closer look at their "perfect" life. But after a few episodes, viewers started to pick up on details that told a different story.

"Recommended if you [want] to see Chiara and Fedez fight all the time… unnecessary conflict and really stressful. I don't expect to see perfect life but this is not a documentary," one reviewer wrote on Rotten Tomatoes.

It appeared there were cracks in their marriage, and a reality TV series only illuminated this for the entire world to see.

In 2023, the couple were embroiled in an alleged public controversy when Fedez was filmed kissing another performer during the Sanremo Music Festival. The interaction was a staged bit, however many believed Ferragni was unhappy with how it all went down. A video of Ferragni supposedly chastising her husband during a commercial break went viral on Italian social media channels.

@theferragnez.family @trashitaliano #chiaraferragni #fedez #leoneluciaferragni #theferragnez #vittorialuciaferragni #sanremo #sanremo2023 ♬ suono originale - THE FERRAGNEZ 💕

Following the incident, there were whispers the couple were headed for a split, however many reported that Ferragni was committed to staying by her husband's side amid his health issues. (In 2022, he announced to the world that he had undergone surgery to treat a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour.)

In late 2023, Fedez had another health scare when he was rushed to hospital with major blood loss from two pancreatic ulcers, which he sustained during the removal of his tumour. At the time he told fans he had a close brush with death, but thanks to donors and his medical team, he made it through the terrifying ordeal. 

He also publically thanked his wife Chiara for being by his side.

But by February 2024, despite weathering legal woes, health battles and rocky patches, their relationship had run its course. Multiple media outlets began reporting that the pair were living separately and had begun divorce proceedings.

Watch: Ask Mia Anything | Children On Social Media. Story continues below.

Co-parenting in a social media age.

As a social media influencer, Ferragni has always been open about sharing the identities of her two children Leone, six and Vittoria, three, online. However, in recent weeks fans have noticed her posting habits have changed, with many of the images shared concealing or partially concealing her children's faces.

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A post shared by Chiara Ferragni ✨ (@chiaraferragni)

Though her reasons aren't known to the public, many are speculating that it's a sign Ferragni and Fedez have officially split. According to Italian publication Il Messaggero, Italian laws state that both parents must consent to their children's faces being shared online. If one parent does not consent, then neither is allowed to share their identity across social media.

This does seem to to support the idea that Ferragni and Fedez may have entered into divorce litigation and are currently figuring out their path forward when it comes to co-parenting, however neither party has publicly confirmed a divorce. In any case, a move to a more private existence might just be a calming change the whole family can benefit from.

Feature image: Instagram/chiaraferragni.