Italian high society in shock as millionaire banker throws ultra exclusive engagement party at Turin villa - only to make accusations against fiancée in his speech

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Italian high society has been left reeling after a millionaire banker accused his bride of cheating on him in his speech at a lavish engagement party.

Massimo Segre, 64, gathered distinguished guests at his mansion in Turin, to celebrate his upcoming nuptials to entrepreneur and politician Cristina Seymandi, 47.

But instead of the loving words usually addressed to the bride to be, Massimo accused his future wife of cheating, to the shock of Torinese society, before declaring the relationship over.

Over a lavish banquet, he said: 'I want to give Cristina the freedom to love.

'Specifically, to love another person; a notable lawyer, who she clearly cares about more than me.'

'Dear Cristina, I know how much you are in love with him mentally and sexually,' he added.

'And I know that before him you had a relationship with an industrialist acquaintance.'

Stunned, Cristina looks around the room of some 150 guests for support as her fiance shares photos of her with another man.

'Don't think it pleases me to look like a cuckold in front of all of you,' Massimo then tells his friends, clearly devastated by his partner's alleged betrayal as the party falls silent. 

'Cristina is so good at telling her truths, that I couldn't leave her alone to narrate the reason why I'm ending [our] life together tonight.

'It's a banal story of infidelity, even premarital. I am so disappointed,' he says. 'I am heartbroken.' 

Massimo was seen reading a prepared speech in Turin about his wife's alleged infidelities

A moment of shock as Cristina looks around after being accused of having an affair with a lawyer

He then wishes her well, before telling her to go to Mykonos with her lover, as the holiday - perhaps the honeymooon - is already paid for.

After his speech was over, the lights dimmed and Massimo left the stage.

Italian media reported that guests were annoyed at being 'used' as part of the show. Stunned, they stared on in silence unsure what to think.

Since the engagement party, a video taken by one of the guests has gone viral, resulting in Cristina becoming the subject of death threats online.

In a letter to the director of the Zona Bianca TV news programme, Christina said Massimo had committed an act of 'psychological violence' and had 'meticulously planned his revenge'.

 She added that she had a valuable sapphire ring given to her by Massimo's mother to mark their engagement which had 'mysteriously disappeared' 15 days before the party.

Speaking to The Times, Cristina's adviser said she will be taking legal action for 'reputational damage' against he former fiance.  

'She has suffered very serious attacks on social media and threats from Italian citizens. It has been traumatic,' she said.

Cristina Seymandi, an entrepreneur and politician

Massimo is pictured (right) in a post on Instagram

Her lawyer, Claudio Strata, added that her banker fiance had 'intentionally humiliated her'.    

'The letter was read out in front of dozens of people and it was captured in a video that was sent to the newspapers. We don't think this was improvised.' 

Massimo categorically denies having published the video, let alone having allowed it to be filmed.

He has since accused Cristina of stealing €700,00 (£598,000) from the couple's joint account, but she says the money was transferred with his consent before the relationship ended. 

In an interview with La Stampa, Cristina said that the bags for Mykonos 'were already packed' and urged onlookers to reserve judgment: 'Within every family, the dynamics are very complex and difficult to understand from the outside.'

At the time, she said, she thought he'd gone crazy. 'He was very tired at the time,' she said.

'I am sure there's someone behind him who fanned the flames. In short, manipulated him.' 

She also noted: 'My professional life requires me to react and remain lucid. I will think about possible protections in civil and criminal matters.' 

Cristina added: 'It was a farce, let's face it. Serious things are resolved another way.'

'Now I will consider whether to sue him,' she said.

Viviana Ferrero, former vice president of the Turin city council and friend of Cristina, described the ordeal as a 'sexist lynching'.

She said: 'Two things hurt me, the end of a beautiful love story and the lynching... it's been going on for days. A sexist, chauvinist, violent, horrendous lynching.

She went on: 'Dirty laundry is washed in the family and they, even if for a short time, were a very special family. 

'And they could have been one of the most beautiful couples there were, because they combined so many qualities. 

'I don't rejoice when the rich cry.'

Massimo's mother, Franca Bruna Segre, was also a key figure in Italian finance, heading Banca Intermobiliare before her son became its financier. 

Massimo is also a director of Directa Sim, an online trading company, and has involvement in other sectors including health and media.

To complicate matters, Cristina is professionally tied into some of these businesses, listed on LinkedIn as a director of Directa Sim since February.

She has also been named CEO of Savio Thesan Spa, a company she joined by taking over Massimo's shares through the recently established Hope SRL. 

Cristina is the daughter of a renowned accountant from Turin and has held roles in politics and business over an eventful career.

Cristina looks on as Massimo accuses her of having an affair with an unnamed lawyer

In 2021, she backed the mayoral campaign of centre-right candidate Paolo Damilano in Turin, who promised to make her deputy if he won. Damilano lost in the run-off to centre-left candidate Stefano Lo Russo.

Segre and Cristina met around the time of the pandemic and their wedding was delayed twice as a result.

Finally, the plans were made and 'around 200' guests were invited to the lawn overlooking the Mole Antonelliana, an iconic domed building in Turin, to finally announce the date in October.

But what started with general thanks to the audience took a sudden turn when Segre took the chance to out his partner.