“That’s Why Jeff Koons Fell in Love With Me”: Cicciolina on Fame, Fascism, and Blonde Ambition

It is easy to see why Ilona Staller, the larger-than-life personality better known as Cicciolina, once caught the eye of Jeff Koons, who in 1990 debuted a series of paintings and sculptures depicting the couple, who would get married one year later, in various states of coitus. Cicciolina, now 73, doesn’t mince words when reflecting on the their courtship. As she told us earlier this month: “My ex-husband Jeff Koons fell in love with me because he saw photos of me with beautiful blonde hair in newspapers and magazines.” But before becoming both wife and muse to one of the most provocative and polarizing artists of the late 20th century, Cicciolina was a shock jock in her own right, having been one of the world’s most recognizable porn stars before being elected to Italian Parliament in 1987. An avowed anti-war libertarian who spearheaded no less than a dozen bills concerning animal rights and sex education, Cicciolina conducted diplomacy her own way, once offering to haver sex with Saddam Hussein in exchange for peace in the Gulf. When she joined us last week to take part in the Rorschach Test, her platform hadn’t changed. “To make money from killing people and destroying towns and cities, this is despicable,” she said. “My motto for many years has been peace, love, and no war.” To mark the re-release of her autobiography, Memoire, and the launch of a new merch line, Cicciolina sounds off below on OnlyFans, the pleasures of fame, and two particularly divisive world leaders: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Donald Trump.

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FAME

“In order to have fame, you have to work hard. But it’s worth the hustle. It also brings money, which is a good thing.”

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FASCISM

“I’ve seen some stuff in fascism that gives me horror, so I’m neither fascist nor communist. I believe in democracy and I’m against any kind of dictatorship, whether it’s in Italy or elsewhere, because it annihilates thought.”

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GIORGIA MELONI

“She probably works hard, but that’s about the only thing that I can say about her.”

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CHATGPT

“I find it to be an innovative, interesting, great new technological tool. On the other hand, I’m afraid AI might make people lose jobs in the long run.”

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ONLYFANS

“I’m not on it, but from what I see, many girls are and they make a lot of money, even up to 10 to 15,000 euros a month. It pays well and there nobody takes advantage of the girls, so I think it’s a great thing. They’re in control of their own bodies.”

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POPE LEO XIII

“I don’t know this new pope so much. I knew the other one; he was a good communicator. Maybe because he’s only just started, but this one is still quite tranquil, quite timid.”

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BLONDES

“Men love blonde women and I feel fantastic with blonde hair. I’ve tried red hair and dark hair, but I prefer blonde because I have clear blue eyes. Blondes have something else. Look at Marilyn Monroe or Brigitte Bardot and even Madonna. If I’m not mistaken, she did a tour called Blond Ambition. My ex-husband Jeff Koons fell in love with me because he saw photos of me with beautiful blonde hair in newspapers and magazines.”

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PARLIAMENT

“I was in Parliament from 87 to 92, and during those five years I tried to carry out 18 law proposals. The first one being the right for the inmates to see their loved ones and even have sex with them once or twice a week, which they weren’t able to do before. Another was about the study of sexuality in the schools in Italy, to teach young adults about sexually transmitted diseases, about abortion, all these topics were not really being talked about. I also tried to run a bill on animal rights to stop vivisection on live animals.”

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LIPSTICK

“This is something very important for me, I absolutely love lipstick. When I started at 14, I was a model in Budapest and I would steal my moms lipstick, all kinds of colors: red, pink, orange. Whoever invented it is a bloody genius.”

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DONALD TRUMP

“I rooted for him during this campaign mostly because he said that he wanted peace in the world and that’s what I expect him to do, because wars are absolutely absurd. There are civilians getting killed; just look at what’s happening in the Middle East. So I hope that he maintains his promise.”

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MOTHERHOOD

“Something that no money or fame can buy. It’s something like being in heaven. I thank god that I was able to have a son, Ludwig, with Jeff Koons, and he lives in New York. For me, motherhood is a fantastic sensation, and I feel really sorry for the women that cannot have children.”

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ITALIAN LOVERS

“To be honest, I’ve not had that many Italian lovers. I’m single and I’ve been single since ‘93. I’ve had flirts with Italian men, and they might want to have sex for one or two weeks, but then they look for someone else, jumping from flower to flower.”

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WAR

“I hate war. Enough of wars. The only people that love war are the ones that make money from it. And to make money from killing people and destroying towns and cities, this is despicable. My motto for many years has been peace, love, and no war.”

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