Hathaway's Boyfriend: History of Legal Troubles

Originally posted Friday April 04, 2008 03:50 PM EDT

For Anne Hathaway's boyfriend Raffaello Follieri, Thursday's arrest in New Jersey for allegedly writing a bad check was only the latest in a long line of financial and legal troubles for the 29-year-old Italian real estate developer.

Follieri, 29, was released Thursday evening on a desk-appearance ticket after allegedly bouncing a $215,000 check, according to reports. His lawyer told the New York Daily News that the "underlying obligation has been paid."

Since moving to New York over four years ago to start a business redeveloping Roman Catholic Church properties, Follieri, the scion of a powerful Italian real estate family that boasted strong ties to the Vatican, has been the subject of a number of lawsuits, including one filed by billionaire supermarket magnate – and Bill and Hilary Clinton associate – Ron Burkle.

In the lawsuit, filed in May of last year in Delaware, Burkle alleges that Follieri took more than $1 million of his company's money to pay for an extravagant lifestyle for the couple, which included a $40,000 a month penthouse apartment in the Trump Tower, private jet travel, lavish spending sprees, and five star dog care for the couple's Labrador Esmeralda.

Follieri and Hathaway have been all but inseparable since becoming couple since 2005, and are regulars at Manhattan's celeb-packed eatery the Waverly Inn.

Hathaway, 24, who sits on the board of the Follieri Foundation, a charitable group started by her boyfriend, will next be seen this summer opposite Steve Carell in Get Smart and is currently shooting the Bride Wars with Kate Hudson in New York.