Everybody is talking about Sophia Loren's stunning lace bridal gown after it inspired Lauren Sanchez's dress from her wedding to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos last week.
But despite the iconic Hollywood actress' picture-perfect bridal look in the 1958 movie Houseboat, behind the scenes, Sophia, now 90, faced turmoil in her own marriage.
The then-16-year-old Italian actress met Italian film producer Carlo Ponti, who was 20 years her senior, in 1950 at a beauty contest in Rome.
Despite him being married to Giuliana Fiastri, their relationship developed, and they fell in love while filming 1954's Woman Of The River.
© GettySophia and Carlo's relationship was put on hold, despite him having secretly proposed around the time the movie ended, until he was granted a divorce, which was a lengthy process due to the strict religious rules in Italy.
© ShutterstockIt was during this time that Sophia faced a near-miss with scandal.
"Cary was in love with me and wanted me to marry him," Sophia told the Sydney Morning Herald of her bond with her The Pride and the Passion co-star Cary Grant, whom she had grown close to while Carlo finalised his divorce.
© Getty"But that would have meant my leaving Carlo and creating a huge scandal."
Detailing her relationship with the Charade actor, Sophia later revealed to the Radio Times in 2020: "Cary Grant was a very handsome man and a wonderful actor, but he didn’t propose.
© Getty"I mean, how can you propose while you’re doing a picture? It's impossible. We had a very nice relationship, but Cary was much older than me."
After obtaining annulment documents in Mexico, Sophia married Carlo by proxy in 1957, though their union came to a swift end five years later as they were forced to get an annulment following charges of bigamy.
Sophia Loren's wedding regret
Despite Sophia's wedding dress in Houseboat having served as inspiration for the biggest celebrity wedding of 2025, her own bridal gown is a source of personal regret.
© Getty ImagesDISCOVER: Sophia Loren's canalside £5m Venice palazzo is straight out of a fairytale
"It’s very hard to say you have no regrets," Sophia admitted to the Radio Times. "The only thing I regret a little is that I never got married in a white dress. That was the dream of my life, which is still inside me."
