German Model Claims Pregnant By Berlusconi

A German starlet known as "Queen Bee" for her organizing role at Silvio Berlusconi's raunchy parties said in an interview on Friday that she is pregnant by the former Italian prime minister.

Asked by investigative daily Il Fatto Quotidiano about the rumor that Berlusconi could be the father of her baby, 38-year-old television actress Sabina Began answered: "It's simple, I only went to bed with him."

Berlusconi, 75, has not commented on the claim and Began declined to say what his reaction has been. She added however that Berlusconi was currently "very depressed" and was keen to get back to the political scene.

"For him politics is a way of recharging his batteries," she said.

Began's name has been linked in the Italian press to parties hosted by Berlusconi at his residences in Sardinia and Rome where bevies of young women performed strip shows which he himself has called "burlesque contests".

Began is of Bosnian origin and her real name is Beganovic.

Berlusconi, who resigned in November 2011 but is still a member of parliament, is on trial for allegedly having sex with an underage prostitute while he was prime minister and abusing the powers of his office to cover it up.

He has denied all charges and accuses prosecutors of ganging up against him.