Carla Bruni Drops Gig For Sarkozy's Sake

NICE, France (Feb. 2) – French first lady Carla Bruni has decided to stand by her man rather than her singing career, at least when it comes to this month's San Remo music festival in Italy.

The Italian-born Bruni was scheduled to sing at the festival's competition but she abruptly pulled out, apparently because another singer at the festival plans to perform a song mocking her husband, French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

TV presenter Massimo Giletti announced Bruni's decision to cancel her appearance Sunday night on the Italian state channel Rai Uno, telling millions of viewers watching Sunday's "Arena" broadcast that her husband probably vetoed it.

"Among the explanations is the possibility that her appearance was vetoed by the Elysée Palace in annoyance at the song that mocks President Sarkozy," Giletti said.

Giletti later claimed to have seen an e-mail from Bruni's staff indicating Sarkozy's displeasure. Italian newspapers roundly denounced Bruni on Tuesday.

The song that reportedly displeased the Sarkozys is "Meno Male," written and sung by Italian singer Simone Cristicchi. Some of the lyrics imply that the beautiful Bruni helps distract people from her husband's political problems. "If we just speak of you (Carla), there won't be any problems," goes one line.

But Bruni told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that she had to cancel her performance because of conflicting "official and personal engagements." The festival organizers echoed her denial, saying there was no link between her absence and the Cristicchi song.

"Furthermore, I'm convinced that Carla Bruni hasn't heard the song, but if she did she would find it amusing," a festival director told the newspaper.

Bruni has a history of occasional enmity with her native country and has often criticized Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. For example, at the end of 2008, when Berlusconi described Barack Obama as "young, handsome ... but tanned," Bruni said she was relieved to have become a French citizen, provoking ire in the Italian media.

Among the other lyrics in the Cristicchi song is the line, "Meno male che Silvio c'e'!" (thank goodness for Silvio), a slogan used by Berlusconi's supporters.

Bruni, 42, the heiress to an Italian tire fortune, moved to France with her family in 1975. After stints as a supermodel and notorious femme fatale, she had enormous success here in 2005 with her first album, "Quelqu'un M'a Dit."

Bruni married Sarkozy in February 2008.