MOSCOW (Sputnik) — An Italian court sentenced actress Ornella Muti to a hefty fine or eight months in jail for skipping a theater performance to dine with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a charity event, Italian media reported Wednesday.
The 59-year-old actress, who starred in Woody Allen's 'To Rome With Love', was allegedly on sick leave when she did not show up for a theatrical premiere back in 2010. Muti reportedly presented a medical document proving she had to take time off work due to illness.
But the court in the north Italian city of Pordenone found that on December 10, 2010 Muti had travelled to St. Petersburg to attend a charity dinner together with President Putin and US actor Kevin Costner.
The actress, who has made more than a hundred appearances in Italian films and on stage, is now expected to pay a fine of 30,000 euros ($34,000) for violating the terms of her contract. She was reportedly to be paid 25,000 euros by Pordenone's local Verdi-Theater.
