Placebo's Brian Molko is being sued for defamation by Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The suit stems from a Placebo performance at last month's Sonic Park Stupinigi festival outside Turin, where the frontman called Meloni "racist," "fascist" and a "piece of shit" while on stage.
As reported by the Daily Beast and Politico, a "contempt of the institutions" investigation was launched after local authorities found footage of the performance on social media.
Leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, Meloni reportedly has a habit of taking legal action against those who criticize her publicly. Last fall, she sued two reporters from the Italian newspaper Domani for aggravated criminal defamation, also suing writer Roberto Saviano — who called her a "bastard" on TV after she said that NGO rescue boats trying to rescue refugees should be sunk — around the same time.
The Domani trial is set to begin next July, while Saviano's trial has been adjourned until October of this year. If he's found guilty, he could face up to three years in prison.
As reported by the Daily Beast and Politico, a "contempt of the institutions" investigation was launched after local authorities found footage of the performance on social media.
Leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, Meloni reportedly has a habit of taking legal action against those who criticize her publicly. Last fall, she sued two reporters from the Italian newspaper Domani for aggravated criminal defamation, also suing writer Roberto Saviano — who called her a "bastard" on TV after she said that NGO rescue boats trying to rescue refugees should be sunk — around the same time.
The Domani trial is set to begin next July, while Saviano's trial has been adjourned until October of this year. If he's found guilty, he could face up to three years in prison.
