Settle down, Juicers. You’ll want to be comfortable for this wild
ride. Do you remember the insane story that broke
two years ago about Colin Firth, and her affair with her alleged STALKER? In today’s video, we’re diving deep into
the love story that started and ended like a Hollywood movie. Once dubbed the sweethearts of Hollywood,
an inseparable pair, Colin and Livia enjoyed a romance that spanned over two decades until
all hell broke loose. To the shock of their fans, their dreamy relationship
came crashing down after more than two decades of commitment. On the outside, they looked like a happy couple,
living in the Italian countryside with their two sons, Luca and Matteo. But, on the inside, things were very different. Let’s start at the beginning. Do you remember the story arc Colin Firth’s
character had in Love Actually? Falling in love with a Portuguese girl, learning
the language, surprising her with a visit and a love declaration, albeit it took him
a little while to gather his thoughts. Well, a very similar thing happened to Colin
8 years before that. Only he was a bit less charmingly (and excessively!)
befuddled. Firth and his future spouse met in 1995 on
the set of British-Italian miniseries Nostromo, in which he starred, and she worked as a production
assistant. According to Firth, it was love at first sight. They met in Cartagena , Colombia. Firth once revealed that he saw her walking
through a crowd as he stood on the steps of an old church, and the sight was all his heart
needed to pursue a romance. “I couldn’t move,” the renowned actor
told Ellen DeGeneres back in 2011. Two years later, the smitten pair got married
at a 13th-century church near her home. They settled down just outside of Tuscany. Firth has lived in Italy until the shocking
events happened and is now an Italian citizen. In 2001, they welcomed their first son Luca,
and in 2003, they welcomed their second baby boy, Matteo. Back in 2001, Firth revealed that Livia had
not heard of him before they met. He also confessed that her Italian family
was not so receptive at first, but they later fell for his charms. Who wouldn’t? A wide smile and excitement always filled
his eyes whenever the actor spoke of his then-darling wife. The Oscar winner often referred to himself
as a one-woman man. Colin once famously declared that he could
never cheat on his wife, and gushed that merely thinking of her helped him ward off the many
women that flooded his life. In a 2011 interview, Firth also gushed over
his marriage, noting that it exceeded the norm compared to other Hollywood marriages. Speaking of their golden secret, the actor
indicated that spending much time together did the magic. They indeed had unforgettable memories to
show for their over-two-decade romance. The duo looked happy with their ever-blooming
love. But their idyllic countryside lifestyle was
rocked in 2018. Their relationship was thrust into the spotlight
when an Italian newspaper reported that the couple had asked Italian police to investigate
a man they believed was Livia Firth’s stalker. According to their complaint, the man, Italian
journalist Marco Brancaccia, had been harassing the couple for years. He would send them texts and emails, make
threatening phone calls, and e-mail photos of Livia to her husband. The police investigated, but the man in question
denied the accusation. Not only that, but he insisted that he and
Livia were childhood friends and were having an affair. Oh, wow! “We were romantically involved, she wanted
to leave Colin for me,” he told The Times. In his own words, his “stalking” consisted
of two messages via WhatsApp after she ended their relationship in June 2016 and an e-mail. According to Brancaccia, when their relationship
ended after 11 months, he briefly remained in touch. He also admitted sending an e-mail to Colin
about his relationship with Livia, which he now regrets. The e-mail drove Mrs Firth to file a report
with authorities in Italy accusing Marco of stalking and harassment. He later alleged Livia lied about him in an
attempt to cover up the affair. “In a year she sent me hundreds of messages
of love, photos, and videos, even a diary,” he added. Italian police launched an investigation,
and Brancaccia was officially charged with stalking in May 2018 after “abusive messages
and emails” were found on his phone. After Marco admitted to the affair, Livia
shared that in 2015, she and Firth separated for a year. And during that time, she was involved with
her childhood friend. “A few years ago, Colin and Livia privately
made the decision to separate. The Firths have since reunited,” a spokesperson
said. Soon after, the couple dropped the stalking
charges. “In the best interests of their families,
the parties have agreed on a private settlement,” read a statement to People. They settled the case out of court, as Livia
tried to prevent further details of her affair with the childhood pal from leaking to the
public. Her focus became to mend the rift with her
husband. Shortly after the scandal, the couple got
back together and once again looked like the closely bonded pair the world had met a few
decades ago. But the rift seems to have been too wide and
the betrayal unforgettable. In 2019, the pair announced that they had
decided to split for good, but remained committed to stay friends and care for their kids. “Colin and Livia Firth have separated. They maintain a close friendship and remain
united in their love for their children,” their reps told People in a statement. “They kindly ask for privacy. There will be no further comment.” A close source to the couple explained that
the former pair of lovebirds couldn’t come back from the affair and the drama that followed. “Things never really came around for them
after that,” the source claimed. “No matter what was decided when they stayed
together after her affair, nothing could erase that betrayal. It was time to move on, even though they had
a solid family relationship and really wanted to save it.” Since their split, the duo has maintained
that there is no bad blood between them. Livia still has a heart full of praise for
her former husband, and once described him as her best partner in crime. Following their split, Firth is said to live
with his teenage sons in the Chiswick area of West London. Fans of the Oscar-winning actor were saddened
when he revealed his marriage had ended just two years after the pair survived an affair
scandal. But Colin had always been open about the trials
and tribulations of marriage — having previously discussed just how tricky finding a proper
balance could be. Although he admitted they were crazy about
each other, Firth hinted that making his marriage work did not come cheap. It took a lot of work and commitment. While some saw this as a sign of a rift in
their romance, others felt it was just an honest admission. “We’re very committed on a daily basis
to how we deal with our family lives,” Colin said at the time. “But the real secret is time — we have
to make sure that we spend enough time together. Every relationship in life you’re going
to have to take care of,” he added. And none other than his long-time friend Stanley
Tucci helped him through it all. The two ended up filming a romantic drama,
Supernova, not long after. The renowned actors have been close ever since
they co-starred in the TV movie Conspiracy in the early 2000s. They got even closer when Stanley lost his
first wife Kate to cancer in 2009. They both live in London, and their kids are
friends, so they already had a palpable connection when it came time to shoot the film. So it wasn’t a stretch at all for Stanley
and Colin to play a married couple. As actors, “you’re catapulted into these
relationships where you must be intimate with people, emotionally or physically. When that’s a person you’ve known for
20 years, it just makes that a little bit easier,” Tucci says. Despite the public trials, the Firths managed
to remain close after their split. They even spent New Year’s Eve together
weeks after confirming their separation. “How we ended and how we began,” she wrote
via Instagram in January. “Bye 2019 and helooooooo new decade!” Later that month, the Mamma Mia! star and
the Italian native co-hosted a screening of The Great Hack in London. She raved on Instagram that the event included
“a fascinating Q&A on the MOST important issue of our time – data,” adding: “Watch
this movie, spread the word and act!” #activecitizens Not only did the drama surrounding their split
read like a plot from a Hollywood thriller-mystery-dramedy, but not long after, the tabloids were at it
again. The rumours about him and none other than
Renée Zellweger getting together started swirling around. Although, that report had more in common with
fan fiction than journalism. There was nothing even to indicate that Zellweger
and Firth are particularly close. The co-stars hadn’t been spotted together
since the release of Bridget Jones’s Baby back in 2016. But sometimes, reality is stranger than fiction. Most recently, the 61-year-old Oscar-winning
actor has been linked to Joanna Gosling, a BBC newsreader. The pair were spotted going for a stroll in
a park in West London. Remind you of anything? Maybe that report wasn’t as far-fetched,
ha? And the former flames, Colin and Livia, seem
to be on excellent terms! Livia proved there was no bitterness between
them as she paid tribute to the actor celebrating his birthday. “60th and not feeling it,” the film producer
and activist captioned a silly Instagram photo of Firth. “Happy birthday to the best partner in crime
ever (for the last 25 years and counting) (this is when Colin stole Elton John costume
on the Kingsman set …) #thursday #thursdayvibes.” That’s all we have for you today. As always, thanks for choosing us! Spread the word, and don’t forget to subscribe
and click that notification bell for more celebrity stories. And we’ll be right back! Be well and be kind to yourself and others.
