Alessandra Mussolini, the granddaughter of the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, has triumphed in this year's edition of Italy's Celebrity Big Brother. The 63-year-old former actress, singer, Member of Parliament, and talk-show personality secured 56 percent of the public vote on Tuesday evening. The Italian public appeared to embrace her assertive, extravagant, and strong-willed persona, which the newspaper Corriere della Sera described as 'bossy, over the top, irresistible, strong-willed and light-hearted.'
Defying Skepticism
Reflecting on her decision to participate, Mussolini stated, 'Everyone told me not to do Big Brother. But every time people tell me "don't do it, don't do it, don't do it," I instantly think: "I'll do it now." She added that she was spurred on by the skepticism surrounding her participation.
A Controversial Legacy
Her success on the show is the latest milestone in a lengthy career that has not been hindered by her infamous surname. Her grandfather, Benito Mussolini, allied with Adolf Hitler in the 1939 Pact of Steel, enacted anti-Jewish laws, and dismantled democracy in Italy before his death in 1945. Alessandra has publicly embraced his ideology, once declaring, 'I am fascist and proud of it.'
Political and Media Career
She entered politics with the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement party, which also launched current Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. In 1993, she ran for mayor of Naples, garnering a significant share of the vote but ultimately losing. In 2020, she participated in the fifteenth season of Italy's version of Strictly Come Dancing and later appeared on The Masked Singer.
Confrontation with Jim Carrey
In 2019, Mussolini clashed with actor Jim Carrey after he tweeted a drawing depicting the dead bodies of her grandfather and his mistress, Clara Petacci, hanging upside down. She called him a 'b*****d' in response. Carrey's artwork referenced the actual events of April 28, 1945, when Mussolini and Petacci were executed by communist partisans and their bodies were hung upside down in Milan's Piazzale Loreto. Carrey, known for his critical drawings of Donald Trump, captioned the image: 'If you're wondering what fascism leads to, just ask Benito Mussolini and his mistress Claretta.'
