Chiara Nava For the first time on television, Fabio Maria Damato shares his version of the time he spent with Chiara Ferragni and the Pandoro Gate affair. The digital entrepreneur's former manager and longtime collaborator was a guest of Silvia Toffanin on Verissimo on Saturday, September 19, retracing his years within the Ferragni group , the end of his professional and personal relationship with the entrepreneur, and the difficult months following the outbreak of the scandal.
A carefully considered choice, Damato explains. " Up until now, I've chosen to remain faithful to my discretion, but this is also my story, and it's right that I defend myself and tell my side of the story ," he stated.
The end of his relationship with Chiara Ferragni and his farewell to the company
The relationship with Ferragni , which began on a professional level and became personal over the years, no longer exists today.
When Toffanin asked if there was still a connection between them, Damato replied without hesitation: " No, there is no longer a relationship ." According to the former manager, after sharing work and daily life for so long, mending a relationship that had grown so deep would not be easy. " When a bond breaks with someone with whom you shared so much, it's difficult to recover; it takes time ," he explained.
Damato described their relationship as " symbiotic ," recalling their numerous trips and days spent together in the office. He emphasized, however, that he had always considered Ferragni, first and foremost, his employer. Over time, he said, their professional and personal relationship became intertwined , to the point where the distinction between the two became blurred.
Reflecting on the growth phase of the Ferragni empire, the former manager said he also tried to support the evolution of the entrepreneur's communication. In his opinion, social media was changing and Instagram was increasingly becoming a professional tool , with a progressive reduction in the exposure of her private life. The decision to leave the company apparently came a few months after the Pandoro Gate scandal broke . " I resigned two months after the Pandoro Gate scandal broke ," he said, specifying that he hadn't had a direct clash with Ferragni: " We didn't even consult each other. But we didn't even argue ."
Pandoro Gate, Fedez and the most difficult months
Regarding the Balocco case, Damato spoke of surprise and disorientation . According to his reconstruction, the initiative had been viewed within the company as an operation similar to others already carried out in the sector, and no one had foreseen the subsequent protests. He also reported that, according to the lawyers, there was ambiguity in the press release regarding the initiative . Regarding the accusation of aggravated fraud, Damato reiterated what he presents as his position: " We were completely in good faith ." He described the timing of the protests as " unreal ," claiming he didn't understand the advantage of exposing oneself to such a risk.
The former manager then spoke about his relationship with Fedez , describing it as mostly " conventional ." " I respected him as my boss's husband and I always kept in mind the boundaries that shouldn't be crossed ," he explained. Damato also said he stayed out of The Ferragnez project because, in his opinion, he didn't fully understand its boundaries and didn't think it was the right choice for Ferragni . Among the incidents he recalled was the party organized in a supermarket , which ended up at the center of controversy. Damato claimed he learned of the initiative and advised against it . Regarding the subsequent public communication, including the video with the gray tracksuit, he explained that he would have chosen a different strategy: " I would have explained the dynamics of the initiative better. The public probably would have appreciated hearing an apology ." Finally, the most personal part of the interview. Damato said he went through a period of great suffering after the scandal broke . " I suffered from depression for several months ," he said, describing the media pressure, the images broadcast on television, and the presence of journalists under his house. " At a certain point, I had no strength left; I didn't want to get out of bed. It was such a dark moment ." This story, months after his breakup with the entrepreneur, brings Damato before the cameras for the first time to publicly reconstruct his role and the events that marked the end of his experience with the Ferragni group.