There was also a personal contract, the pair married and Cristaldi, sculpting her into an Italian Brigitte Bardot, took full control, dictating her movie roles, hairstyle, weight, and social life.
Her pregnancy, Cristaldi demanded, be kept a secret.
As for her son, it was announced that he was her younger brother.
Under Cristaldi’s management, Cardinale had a few minor roles in Italian films, and noticed for her performances, she was referred to as “Italy’s sweetheart.”
In 1958, she had her big break with a leading role in the romantic comedy, Three Strangers in Rome. Working seven months into her pregnancy–which under Cristaldi’s direction she continued to keep a secret–Cardinale became depressed and had suicidal thoughts, pleading with her manager to terminate the contract.
Instead, Cristaldi shipped her to London, away from the press, falsely saying she was away learning English for a role.
In 1975, her baby Patrick was born, a child she said was fathered by an unidentified man, who raped her. Patrick’s identity as her son, was kept a secret until he turned 19.
‘Violent truth’
In 2017, Cardinale opened up to Enzo Biagi, an Italian journalist, and shared with him the violent truth behind her pregnancy, “A man I didn’t know, much older than me, forced me to go up to car and raped me. It was terrible, but the most beautiful thing is that my wonderful Patrick was born from that violence. In fact, although it was a very complicated situation for a single mother, I decided not to have an abortion.”
