Carla Bruni sues over nude images

Carla Bruni is taking legal action to stop a clothing company from distributing bags bearing a nude black-and-white image of her.

Her lawyer said Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has exclusive ownership rights to her image. She is seeking 125,000 euro (£112,000) in damages from clothing vendor Pardon.

The firm is based on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion.

The first lady's lawyer said that a La Reunion court will hear the case on Monday and that she will donate any damages to charity.

Pardon has been giving the bags to its clients. The nude photo of Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy was taken in 1993 when she was a model.

Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy married the French President Nicolas Sarkozy earlier this year.

Via metro.co.uk

Carla Bruni says no hidden messages in new album

Carla Bruni's new album shot to the top of the charts in France but anyone looking for clues about her love life with her husband, French President Nicholas Sarkozy, won't have any luck.

"They are only songs. It's not so precise about life ... It's not exactly your own real life," Bruni said during an appearance on NBC's Today Show on Wednesday.

Italian-born Bruni, a former supermodel-turned-pop singer who wed Sarkozy in February after a whirlwind romance, released her third album, "Comme si de rien n'etait" (As if nothing had happened), in July.

She performed live on the morning news show as part of a tour to promote the album. Some of its lyrics have caused a stir and prompted a search for hints about past love affairs with intellectuals and rock stars, including Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton, and her marriage to Sarkozy.

One song with the lyrics "You are my drug, more lethal than heroin from Afghanistan, more dangerous than Colombian cocaine," prompted Colombia's government to criticize the song as "hurtful."

Bruni discouraged close analysis of the songs, describing them as simple folk songs that "you play just sitting in your living room ... by the fireplace."

Bruni, who has two earlier albums, admitted to some apprehension about releasing the album after becoming France's first lady.

"At the beginning, I got worried that people might take it wrong, because they are not used to it. Usually first ladies have been supporting their husbands," Bruni explained.

"I thought that maybe for a woman nowadays, you know, it's important to have a job and to keep it," she added.

Bruni said France was enthusiastic about the election of Barack Obama and she is looking forward to meeting his wife Michelle

"She looks like she's a great, strong intelligent woman," she said.

Via reuters.com

Carla Bruni performs live together with Metallica

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, the wife of the French President, recently performed live together with rock bands Metallica and Kings of Leon. Recording her song 'Tu Es Ma Came' on BBC's 'Later... with Jools Holland', the former supermodel evoked Parisian cafes with her signature breathy chanson style, while Metallica gave its thrilling heavy metal performance.

The 40-year-old singer was given a warm reception while the crowd cheered for Metallica. During the interview, the French first lady also confessed bothering her significant other when she played in the middle of the night. "I play it at home and I disturb him with it in the middle of the night," BBC quoted her, as saying.

"But he's very kind and he listens to all my doubts," she added.

Via oneindia.in

Carla Bruni '30 lovers'

Carla Bruni Sarkozy sings of 30 lovers and hard drugs on a new album that she insists was not inspired by her whirlwind romance and marriage to President Nicolas Sarkozy

French newspaper Le Figaro said the distinctive melodies and bold lyrics on Ms Bruni's album, As If Nothing Had Happened, were a new departure from plain folk and make the former model's first album since she wed Mr Sarkozy a musical success.

Le Figaro critic Bertrand Dicale said in his review today that the album - which is due out on July 21 - shows Ms Bruni coming of age as a songstress and embracing more recognisably French styles and the flamboyance of the 1960s.

"I am a child despite my 40 years and 30 lovers,'' Ms Bruni sings in the song A Child, according to Mr Dicale who said it was one of the best on the album.

In another song entitled You are my Drug, Ms Bruni sings: "You are my drug. More lethal than heroin from Afghanistan and more dangerous than Colombian cocaine.''

It is Ms Bruni's third album since turning from top model to professional musician, and her first since she married Mr Sarkozy in February.

Ms Bruni has repeatedly said she wrote the songs before meeting Mr Sarkozy, so listeners should not look to the lyrics for clues about her feelings for the French president.

The recently divorced Mr Sarkozy, 53, and Ms Bruni, 40, began dating in November, revealed their relationship in December in a worldwide blaze of publicity, and tied the knot on February 2.

Via news.com.au

Carla Bruni nude portrait to be auctioned at Christie's New York

A nude photo of the French First Lady, Carla Bruni, has been put up for auction at Christie's New York, just hours ahead of a state visit to Britain.

The portrait, by photographer Michel Comte, shows a younger Miss Bruni gazing thoughtfully into the camera with nothing but her crossed hands to cover her modesty.

The pose, apparently in reference to the paintings of French neo-impressionist artist Georges Seurat depicting models, is expected to fetch around £2,000 when it goes under the hammer on April 10.

Miss Bruni and her husband, French president Nicolas Sarkozy, are to arrive in the UK on Wednesday for the start of their two-day state visit, and will be meeting the Queen and the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.

Mr Sarkozy has faced criticism that his flashy, Rolex-wearing image is not in keeping with his function, and he had hoped that the visit would add some much-needed gravitas to his public persona.

According to aides, he is relying on the refinement of his 40-year-old Italian wife to wow the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.

Educated in a Swiss finishing school, Mrs Bruni speaks fluent English unlike her husband, who has been taking intensive lessons to catch up and impress his hosts during the visit.

Christie's defended its decision to put the picture on sale, describing Miss Bruni as "one of the most beautiful women in the world".

"It's a work of art. It was shot in 1993 when Miss Bruni was a model and it's a tasteful nude portrait executed by a well known, respectable artist", said Milena Sales, spokeswoman from Christie's.

"Christie's stands by the works it represents to its clients, it doesn't censor or pass judgement on any content or subject matter. It's a perfectly respectable work of art."

Via telegraph.co.uk

Nicolas Sarkozy marries Carla Bruni

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his girlfriend Carla Bruni were married at the Elysee Palace on Saturday, local district mayor Francois Lebel told Europe 1 radio.

Lebel said he had performed the ceremony, which came less than three months after the couple met in the wake of Sarkozy's divorce from his second wife, Cecilia.

"I married two voters of the 8th district who live at 55 rue du Faubourg Saint Honore", Lebel said, giving the address of the presidential palace.

Sarkozy, 53 earlier this week, divorced Cecilia in October after 11 years of marriage, and six months after taking over the French presidency. Bruni, aged 40, is a singer and former model who has a son from a former relationship.

Lebel said it was the first time in the history of the French republic that a president had married while in office.

Bruni is a rich heiress of Italian origin who moved from a successful career as a supermodel in the 1990s to that of a ballad singer with a hit record.

The tall brunette has been romantically linked to a string of famous men including rock stars Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton as well as tycoon Donald Trump.

"I am a tamer (of men), a cat, an Italian," she told Le Figaro magazine in February last year. "Monogamy bores me terribly."

"I am monogamous from time to time but I prefer polygamy and polyandry (its female equivalent)."

Bruni reportedly met Sarkozy at a Paris dinner party organised by advertising magnate Jacques Seguela in November, one month after his divorce.

Photographs of the pair at the Disneyland theme park outside Paris were splashed in newspapers and magazines a month later, confirming Bruni as Sarkozy's new "queen of hearts."

The president told a press conference last month that his relationship with Bruni was serious and all but confirmed that he planned to marry her.

Sarkozy has a 10-year-old son, Louis, from his marriage to Cecilia and two sons, Pierre, 22, and Jean, 21, from his first marriage to Marie-Dominique Culioli.

Supermodel Carla Bruni to marry French President

She's expected to become Nicolas Sarkozy's wife next month

Supermodel Carla Bruni and French President Nicolas Sarkozy are expected to announce their engagement - less than 4 months after his divorce from his second wife.

The French head of state is said to have popped the question on Christmas Day.

Nicolas and Carla, 40 – who are currently holidaying in Egypt - are expected to get hitched on 8 or 9 February in Paris, reports French paper Le Journal du Dimanche.

The marriage is reportedly being rushed because Nicolas, 52, has a planned state visit to Britain and it would look 'embarrassing' if he was the first French President visit the UK without a wife.

Carla will not be eligible for the Queen's hospitality if she visits the UK as Nicolas's girlfriend.

The Palais de l'Élysée has confirmed that it is to make a 'major announcement' today.

Nicolas divorced his second wife Cecilia in November.

Via nowmagaazine.co.uk

Sarkozy and his new friend Carla Bruni see the Egyptian sights

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his new lady friend, French-Italian singer Carla Bruni, spent Wednesday seeing the sights in the upper Egyptian Valley of the Kings, it was reported. The couple arrived in the southern city of Luxor on Tuesday to spend the Christmas and New Year holidays in Egypt. Later Wednesday they are due to travel to the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh on the Sinai Peninsula.

Sarkozy's itinerary will see an official meeting with Egypt's President Hosny Mubarak on December 30 to discuss issues dealing with trade and the political situation in the Middle East.

His trip was also to include "an open discussion with Egyptian writers and intellectuals," according to local news reports citing the Egyptian ambassador in Paris, Nasser Kamel.

Sarkozy, who has been divorced from his last wife for two months, was first seen with his new former top model girlfriend a week ago in Disneyland Paris.

In France, Sarkozy has been criticized for his closeness to billionaire industrialists and media moguls.

A Falcon 900 private jet has been made available to Sarkozy by French billionaire Vincent Bolore, and his and Ms Bruni's stay in Sharm el-Sheikh will be at the private villa of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, the ruler of Abu Dhabi.

Via earthtimes.org

French President Nicolas Sarkozy Dating Supermodel Carla Bruni

French president Nicolas Sarkozy, whose marriage collapsed in the public eye during his election campaign, is reportedly dating a former supermodel.

The right-winger is said to be seeing Italian-French supermodel-turned-singer Carla Bruni.

The pair visited Disneyland Paris together at the weekend and seemed at ease with photographers taking pictures of them.

Mr Sarkozy's office would not comment on the status of the couple.

But daily newspaper Le Figaro, seen as close to the president, ran a front-page image of Bruni over the headline Carla Bruni: The President's Girlfriend.

Mr Sarkozy basked in the media spotlight in his long race to the presidency.

However, he bristled at the intense media attention focused on the end of his tempestuous marriage to Cecilia Sarkozy, a former model.

The two divorced in October.

During the presidential race some commentators speculated that Mr Sarkozy's image could be hurt by the prospect of his wife leaving him.

Turin-born Bruni, 39, was one of the world's top supermodels until her retirement in the late 1990s.

Since then she has forged a successful career as a chanteuse, most recently releasing an album of musical interpretations of poems by WH Auden, WB Yeats and Dorothy Parker.

Her previous boyfriends are said to have included Mick Jagger, Donald Trump and Kevin Costner.

Via sky.com