Trump Ally ‘Disgusted’ After Altered Photos of Her Posted on Porn Site

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says she is “deeply disgusted” after manipulated pornographic images of her and other prominent women surfaced online, igniting a firestorm across Europe.

The explicit images were hosted on Phica, a pornographic website that abruptly shut down this week, citing “toxic behavior” from its users. Investigators revealed that the platform’s so-called “VIP section” contained altered photos pulled from public social media profiles and paired with vulgar, degrading captions.

Meloni, a far-right leader who has aligned herself closely with President Donald Trump’s nationalist agenda — even adopting his slogan, vowing to “Make the West Great Again” — is among dozens of high-profile women targeted. Her sister, Arianna Meloni, and opposition leader Elly Schlein were also victimized.

“I am disgusted by what has happened,” Meloni told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. “This is a vile attack, not just on me but on all women who have been offended, insulted, and violated.”

She demanded “the utmost firmness” in punishing those responsible. “I expect the perpetrators to be identified and held accountable to the full extent of the law,” she added.

Authorities confirmed that dozens of women have already filed formal complaints after discovering their likenesses had been used in explicit doctored images. Police in Rome are now investigating the site’s operators and digging into its “VIP section,” where the manipulated photos of politicians, journalists, and other public figures were shared.

“This isn’t just a privacy violation — it’s gender-based violence in digital form,” said Italian Justice Minister Marta Cartabia. “We are dealing with individuals who weaponized technology to humiliate women. This will not go unpunished.”

Phica, launched in 2005 and infamously named after a vulgar Italian slang term for female genitalia, had long been a controversial hub for explicit content. Critics have repeatedly accused the platform of hosting deepfakes and revenge porn.

The website’s operators, however, tried to deflect blame, releasing a statement before shutting down: “Some users were using the platform incorrectly.”

Italian authorities aren’t buying it. Investigators believe Phica’s administrators may have knowingly curated and promoted explicit deepfake images for profit. The case has renewed calls across Europe for stronger digital privacy protections and tougher penalties against platforms that enable exploitation.

Meloni, 48, has become one of Europe’s most polarizing figures since taking office in 2022. Once celebrated by right-wing leaders like Trump as a rising star of nationalism, she has clashed with progressive European allies over immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, and press freedoms.

Her critics argue that her embrace of Trump-style rhetoric has emboldened misogyny and online harassment. “This is the predictable result of a political climate where women leaders are constantly demeaned,” said Elly Schlein, head of Italy’s opposition Democratic Party and herself a victim of the image manipulation.

“The far right wants to control women’s bodies, women’s voices, and now even women’s images,” Schlein said in a televised statement. “We cannot allow this to become normalized.”