A video has been circulating online that sees Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, 47, kissing billionaire Elon Musk. Netizens have been looking up on whether the couple have been dating, with Musk dismissing the rumours in September last year. However, the video has Meloni facing scrutiny, going beyond embarrassment as it affects her credibility and perpetuates gender biases.
About Giorgia Meloni
She was born on 15 January 1977 in Rome, Italy. Her mother, Anna Paratore, had her a year and a half after giving birth to her first daughter, Arianna.
Meloni's mother was 23 when she had her, and worked through several jobs. Giorgia would follow, working as a bartender and a babysitter.
Meanwhile, her father, Francesco, left the family in 1978 and would remarry. Meloni's father would make sporadic visits and have four more children with his other family.
At the age of 11, Meloni chose to never see him again due to his lack of interest. In 1995, her father would be convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to nine years in prison.
At 15, she entered politics as a member of the Italian Social Movement's youth wing in 1992. She was joined by her sister, who would spend the coming years under the employment of the Lazio regional government.
In 2006, she was appointed as the youngest vice president of the Chamber of Deputies. From 2008-2011, she served under Silvio Berlusconi's government as the Minister of Youth.
Her biggest achievement is becoming the first woman serving as Italy's prime minister in 2022. She appointed Arianna as the head of the party's political secretariat in 2023.
In her 2021 autobiography, Io sono Giorgia (I am Giorgia), she wrote that her childhood influenced her political outlook. Meloni has noted that such absence (pertaining to her father) drove her to constantly prove herself in a male-dominated space.
The Video of Meloni Kissing Elon Musk
The Notre Dame Cathedral's opening saw Meloni and Musk meet, which alone sparked online discussions. This comes from a string of dating rumours tracing back to September 2024.
However, a video with the two leaders kissing went viral. Firstpost revealed that it was an AI-generated video that had evident distortions.
Despite the circumstances, the video continues to be spread throughout different platforms. Content similar to this is amplified, in a sense that the person affected is a person in power, moreover, a woman.
Again, Meloni is the first female Italian prime minister. She faces scrutiny and stereotyping, often translating into 'memes' for the consumption of the public.
These incidents affect women in power more often than not, as it stains professional legitimacy. Similar to her driving force in politics, she continues to fight gender biases despite ever-growing challenges.
This entails the developing dangers of deepfake technology, which risks diplomatic tensions. The video is a prime example of how AI can blur truth and fiction for the ill-informed.
Musk on Dating Rumours
Do you think They’ll date? 🤣 pic.twitter.com/XXs1U45kjb
— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) September 24, 2024
A year ago, a photo of Musk and Meloni in New York went viral. The couple were in attendance for the United Nations General Assembly, where they shared a table.
We are not dating
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 24, 2024
While social media users persisted to incite rumours about their dating lives, the Tesla CEO dismissed it with a simple reply. Under the post, Musk said 'We are not dating'.
