ROME - Former Italian Prime Ministerm Silvio Berlusconi, who turns 76 next month, on Friday denied a claim by starlet Sabina Began that he had made her pregnant. In an interview with Italian paper Il Fatto Quotidiano on Friday, Began, 38, said she was pregnant and was sure Berlusconi was the father because "I only slept with him". Later, she told Italian gossip website Dagospia in a text message that she had lost the baby overnight due to a miscarriage. The news prompted Berlusconi's lawyer, Niccolo Ghedini, to issue a denial. "This is evidently a colour piece, ironic and typical of the summer, which is totally detached from reality," Ghedini said in a statement. Berlusconi stepped down as prime minister in November after Italy came close to a Greek-style debt crisis at a time when he was fighting charges that he had had sex with an underage prostitute and had used his office to try to cover it up. He is now on trial for the charges. A long list of women have since described "bunga bunga" sex parties at the media magnate's villas. The Italian press has said Began was known as the "Queen Bee" for her role in organising the events. She has repeatedly declared her love for the former premier. In the Friday interview, she said "he is magical, he's marvellous, he's like a Superman." Though he seemed politically washed up less than a year ago, Berlusconi - who has five children by two wives - is poised to announce he is running for prime minister for the sixth time, leaders of his party say.
