Anne Hathaway Was Once Branded An Opportunist By Donald Trump For Dumping Her Boyfriend Days Before He Was Arrested For Fraud: “When He Had Plenty Of Money…”
Raffaello Follieri and Anne Hathaway met in early 2004.
Anne Hathaway Was Once Branded An Opportunist (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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Donald Trump once lashed out at Anne Hathaway for dumping her boyfriend days before he was arrested and charged with fraud. Hathaway’s boyfriend, Italian real estate developer Raffaello Follieri, was also a Trump Tower resident.
According to Vanity Fair, Follieri and Anne Hathaway met in early 2004 when she was 21 years old and he was 25. They dated for four years before Hathaway reportedly called things off just days before Follieri was arrested and charged on counts of fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy.
Follieri allegedly told investors he was the CFO of The Vatican. Follieri, who’d been living at his parents’ Trump Tower apartment at the time of his arrest, elicited Donald Trump’s sympathy.
According to Today, in 2008, Trump told Billy Bush on “Access Hollywood” what he thought of the Get Smart actress breaking up with someone when they were down on their luck. Trump seemingly branded Anne Hathaway an opportunist and said, “She hasn’t remained very loyal to him, has she? So when he had plenty of money, she liked him, but then after that, not as good, right?”
Trump went on to praise the Italian investor, saying the businessman’s conduct in the building was positive. He added, “I’ve heard he’s very nice. According to the help, there are no problems. But he’s got himself in a jam.”
At the time, many questioned Anne Hathaway’s involvement in Follieri’s scams. According to multiple reports, much of the laundered money was used to take private jet trips with Anne Hathaway. The actress later told W Magazine she learned of her ex-boyfriend’s arrest in the middle of her Get Smart press tour. Hataway added that she was shocked by the news. She said “It’s a situation where the rug was pulled out from under me suddenly.”
The actress also noted she broke things off with Follieri because they weren’t well-suited. Anne Hathaway told Vogue she knew they were different when he asked their maid to dispose of wilting cherry blossoms that Hathaway thought “were beautiful even as they died.”
