What Placebo Frontman Said Onstage That Led to Charge of Defamation of Italian Prime Minister

A member of the British alt-rock band Placebo is facing a defamation charge for comments he allegedly made on stage about the Italian prime minister.

Who Is Brian Molko?

Brian Molko is one of the founding members of Placebo. The London-based band received acclaim in the U.S. thanks to their 1998 release Without You I’m Nothing and the subsequent success of the single “Pure Morning.”

The 52-year-old Molko, who serves as the band’s vocalist and guitarist, has been joined through the years by fellow founding member, bassist Stefan Olsdal, and a rotating cast of musicians filling out the rest of Placebo’s roster.

What Did Brian Molko Say On Stage?

According to Louder, Molko was recently charged with defamation for comments he made about Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a 2023 festival performance.

The website reports Placebo was one of the acts books for Italy’s Sonic Park festival where Molko allegedly called Meloni a “piece of shit, fascist, racist” and a “Nazi.”

An investigation was launched in 2023 following a “complaint” that was made at the festival. This week, Italian newspaper La Stampa reported Molko is facing a defamation change for “contempt of the institutions.”

According to Pitchfork, the offense of defaming the Italian government, parliament, courts or army carries a fine that would equate to $5,240.

Italian Prime Minister’s Past Defamation Claims

This is far from the first time Meloni has been the target of alleged defamation.

“Meloni leads the nationalist Brothers of Italy party and the hard-right coalition that has led the country since 2022 and pursued hardline policies on immigration, abortion and same-sex parenting,” The Guardian said in describing the prime minister.

Her time in office has been marked by an onslaught of defamation lawsuits. The Guardian reported Meloni’s first year alone in office “recorded the highest number of lawsuits against public participation.”

The HuffPost reports Italian writer and journalist Robert Saviano called Meloni a “bastard” while appearing on a TV show in 2020, well before she was installed as prime minister. Saviano was ordered to pay Meloni the equivalent of approximately $1,045 in 2023.

The outlet said Meloni also filed a complaint against historian Luciano Canfora who accused the prime minister of being a “neo-Nazi.” The case was later closed after the complaint was withdrawn.