Showgirl Valeria Marini granted annulment from 'bigamist'

(ANSA) - Rome, April 1 - Showgirl Valeria Marini was granted an annulment by the Roman Catholic Church from former husband Giovanni Cottone Wednesday on the ground that he had concealed from her a previous marriage with a woman with whom he had two children, the Sacred Rota court said.
    Marini and Cottone were married May 5, 2013, in a glittering fairytale ceremony at the Basilica of Ara Coeli in Rome but Cottone "had concealed the existence of a previous matrimony celebrated in church with another woman in Palermo," the Rota court which judges requests for annulments said in a statement by its press office.
    "The court of the Sacred Rota therefore pronounced the definitive verdict and annuled the marriage of Valeria Marini and Giovanni Cottone. Marini, therefore, can contract a new wedding and being a devout believer she learned the news with great joy".
    Marini said "this is the end of a nightmare. I knew about a civil wedding Cottone celebrated but I knew nothing about this previous marriage".
    "I was deceived in everything even before God," she added, "I was wounded to the quick as a practicing Catholic woman. Now at last I have obtained justice and am serene, ready to start again".