June 24, 2004: Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi and now ex-wife Veronica Lario pictured in Rome. (AP)
ROME – Premier Silvio Berlusconi says the suggestion by his wife and the media that he had a relationship with an 18-year-old girl is a "lie."
Berlusconi went on state-run television Tuesday to repeat that his wife Veronica Lario should publicly apologize for embarrassing him and admit that she was wrong.
Lario has said she wants a divorce, citing Berlusconi's frequent flirtations with younger women. She cited Berlusconi's recent presence at the 18th birthday party of Noemi Letizia as evidence.
Berlusconi said: "If there was anything spicy or less than clean in the relationship between the premier and a woman younger than 18, wouldn't it seem crazy for the premier to go to a public function and be photographed all over the place?"
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