Placebo frontman Brian Molko has been charged with defamation after he allegedly called Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni a “facist” and “racist”.
Videos posted of the incident in 2023 showed the frontman describing Meloni in Italian as “a piece of shit fascist, racist” and then saying “fuck you” during the band’s set in front of 10,000 fans at Sonic Park Festival in Turin in July 2023.
At the time, prosecutors in Turin opened an investigation into the claims and filed a lawsuit against Molko for defamation.
Now, according to Italian newspaper La Stampa, Italy’s justice ministry has given prosecutors the right to launch legal proceedings against Molko on charges of “contempt of the institutions”, an offence that carries a fine of between €1,000 (£830) and €5,000 (£4,150).
During the Stupinigi Sonic Park, the Placebo lead singer Brian Molko calls PM Giorgia Meloni ‘racist, fascist’, concluding ‘fuck you’.
July 11, 2023 pic.twitter.com/eqmJLcH4Qp
— Crazy Ass Moments in Italian Politics 🇮🇹 (@CrazyItalianPol) July 12, 2023
According to the publication, “the crime in question is subject to direct summons to trial”.
Meloni is the leader of the Brothers of Italy party, which has neo-fascist roots, and is at the head of Italy’s most rightwing government since Benito Mussolini during the Second World War. She won the 2022 election while running on anti-immigration policies, as well as plans to limit LGBTQ rights.
Meloni has also previously said she wishes to focus on “traditional Christian family values”, preventing abortions, renegotiating EU treaties, lower taxes and ensuring same-gender couples do not have surrogacy or adoption rights.
Italy’s criminal code punishes anyone who “publicly defames the republic”, which includes the government, parliament, the courts and the army.
NME has contacted a spokesperson for Molko for comment.
Meanwhile, the band recently released their documentary Placebo: This Search For Meaning.
The film – directed by BAFTA winner Oscar Sansom – features revealing in-depth interviews with the band alongside CCTV-style contributions from celebrity fans including Benedict Cumberbatch, Yungblud, Garbage‘s Shirley Manson and IDLES’ Joe Talbot, alongside live performances of tracks from the band’s 2022 album ‘Never Let Me Go’.
Robbie Williams also recently opened up about the impact Placebo’s ‘Nancy Boy’ had on him.
The 1997 track was the fourth single from their self-titled debut album. Using a homophobic insult as its title, it explored fluid sexuality and drugs, something Williams recently said “embraced the confusion” for him.
