Sophia Loren and her beloved husband, Carlo Ponti, were blessed with two children despite doctors telling her she could not bear them. The couple was married for four decades until his death.
Loren spoke candidly about her romance with Ponti in a September 2019 interview. When asked about the secret to the longevity of their relationship, she said there was none.
“It was love at first sight for both of us. We met at a beauty contest in Rome when I was 16, and he was on the jury,” the Italian actress explained. Loren divulged that the Italian film producer saw her sitting with friends and sent a note asking her to join the competition.
She did and finished second in the contest. Loren shared that her relationship with Ponti began in a “friendly” way and that they did not start a romantic relationship until she was 19. “We genuinely loved each other,” she admitted.
When asked whether she often fell in love on set during an October 2017 interview, Loren disclosed, “Maybe little infatuations, but falling in love is quite another thing. Perhaps in life, you fall in love only once.”
Asked when she realized her life would become extraordinary, Loren said she believes rewards are deserved. “Every reward is the fruit of discipline, of dedication, and of sacrifices. And of stubbornness,” the Hollywood star stated. For example, she revealed:
“An Italian doctor told me that I could not have children. I always disagreed, and in the end, he finally was proved wrong. I always disagreed.”
