Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, heir to the fortune behind Ray-Ban owner EssilorLuxottica, is facing renewed scrutiny after leaked recordings reportedly revealed an alleged effort to damage the online reputation of his former fiancée, actress and model Jessica Serfaty. The recordings, reported by The Hollywood Reporter, allegedly feature digital crisis operative Jed Wallace discussing a campaign that would use anonymous websites, search-engine optimization and paid advertising to push negative claims about Serfaty.
The allegations are particularly notable because they emerged after Serfaty publicly accused Del Vecchio of abuse in July 2024 before retracting the accusation and saying her initial comments were made out of anger. The newly reported recordings were apparently made shortly afterward, in August 2024.
Leaked Recordings Allegedly Detail an SEO Campaign
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the recordings consist of voice memos made by Wallace and shared with colleagues at TAG PR as well as Del Vecchio. The reported strategy involved creating an anonymous website containing damaging claims about Serfaty and using SEO techniques and advertising to make the material more visible in search results.
One recording reportedly contains Wallace saying,
“Wow, is it going to get fucking nasty for this girl.”
The website referenced in the reporting was allegedly launched on August 15, 2024, although it has since been taken offline.
Importantly, the recordings as publicly described do not establish that Del Vecchio personally ordered Wallace to create the website or directed him to publish particular allegations. Neither Wallace nor Del Vecchio responded to The Hollywood Reporter’s requests for comment, according to the reporting.
The latest allegations come amid a separate investigation in Italy involving the Equalize private-intelligence case. In July 2026, Milan prosecutors requested that 74 people face trial in the broader investigation, with Del Vecchio among those named as a suspected client. Italian authorities allege that illegal access to databases was carried out in connection with information gathering involving various individuals.
Earlier reporting has linked Del Vecchio to searches involving Serfaty and members of his family during disputes surrounding his late father’s estate. Del Vecchio has denied knowingly requesting illegal activity. In testimony reported by Corriere della Sera, he said he had paid money because he believed information could be used against his family and later expressed regret that he had not gone to prosecutors sooner.
The Italian allegations remain matters for the legal process and have not established criminal guilt.
From Ray-Ban Heir to High-Profile Personal Controversy
Del Vecchio is one of the heirs to the fortune created by his father, Leonardo Del Vecchio, founder of Luxottica. The company later merged with French lens manufacturer Essilor to form EssilorLuxottica, which reported €28.5 billion in revenue for 2025.
Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio also became directly involved in the eyewear business, including leadership roles connected to Ray-Ban, before leaving those positions in 2026.
His relationship with Serfaty had previously attracted attention after the couple became engaged in 2023 and appeared together at the 2024 Met Gala. The latest leaked recordings now place their relationship at the center of a much wider controversy involving alleged reputation management, online manipulation and an ongoing Italian investigation.
For now, the leaked audio provides allegations and reported evidence of conversations, but it does not by itself establish who authorized any alleged campaign or prove that specific claims published about Serfaty were false.