London, May 30 (ANI): Silvio Berlusconi, apparently, has a thing for controversies. Speculations regarding the Italian prime minister’s relationship with an 18-year-old aspiring model are still on, and now, a new scandal has popped up.

Yesterday, Berlusconi was forced to deny that he had held a 2007 New Year’s Eve party for 50 young women, reports The Telegraph.

The denial followed a six-page article by the respected weekly news magazine L’Espresso.

The mag had printed an article under the headline “The harem of Berlusconi” as it reported details of the alleged party at his luxury Sardinian villa.

The magazine claimed that 50 young women were flown to Villa Certosa for a “political course” which involved “singing, dancing, shopping and lunch”.

According to L’Espresso, the party on Dec 31 was described as a “dream out of Pretty Woman” with the “most powerful and richest man in Italy entertaining a group of actresses, models and wannabes”.

Hitting back at the article, Berlusconi’s lawyer Nicolo Ghedini said: “The article is completely without foundation. It is fantasy and the sources are all anonymous.”

Noemi’s previously unknown relationship with Berlusconi came into the spotlight last month after his wife, Veronica Lario, said one of the reasons for seeking a divorce was that she could “not stay with a man who frequents minors”. (ANI)