A model who accused Harvey Weinstein of groping her breasts and putting his hand up her skirt previously alleged to Italian police that her 70-year-old boyfriend had raped her.

Ambra Battilana's police statement, made in the Alba region of Italy in December 2010, was published in an Italian newspaper, where she said she was 'forced against my will' into having sex with the 'businessman of substantial means' for money when she was under 18.

Miss Battilana, now 22, who also uses the surname Gutierrez, went to the NYPD to allege on Friday that Hollywood mogul Weinstein, 63, had groped her breasts during a 'business meeting' at his Tribeca offices in Manhattan, grabbed her thigh and tried to kiss her.

Weinstein denied the allegations and 'is cooperating fully with authorities' after sources close to the producer told Page Six that the groping claims were nothing more than a 'blackmail attempt' and insisted that he 'did nothing wrong'.

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Italian newspapers in 2012 reported that Ambra Battilana (pictured) had made a rape complaint against a 70-year-old car dealer ex-boyfriend when she was under 18. The case was dismissed after she never showed up to talk to prosecutors about the allegations

Italian model Ambra Battilana, 22, (left) has accused Hollywood film mogul Harvey Weinstein, 63, (pictured right leaving his home on Tuesday) of touching her breasts and thigh in Manhattan on Friday evening

Prosecutors in Italy asked for the rape allegation to be dismissed in 2012 but it was not reported whether the judge granted the dismissal although it is likely it would have been carried out.

In 2012, the Alba prosecutor told Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera, that Miss Battilana never showed up to talk to them about her police complaint so they were unable verify her claims.

Miss Battilana met the wealthy, car dealer in September 2009 when she was under 18 and therefore below the age of consent for prostitution in Italy, according to Italian newspaper reports.

The age of sexual consent is 14 in Italy but it is illegal to pay for sex or to have sex with a prostitute who is under the age of 18.

The Italian newspaper, Il Giornale, quoted from her 2010 police statement, where she recalled meeting the businessman at an organized dinner.

The statement read: 'He invited me to ride in his car. Upset by the invitation because of my inexperience and very young age, he induced me to accept out of politeness.

'To my enormous embarrassment he began to ask me questions about my sexual preferences and to tell me about his erotic fantasies.

'Then as he started to caress my hand and left leg, he proposed that I become his "playmate" and before I could oppose he gave me a bag with €2,000. He assured me that it was only an advance of the €5,000 he would give me every month.'

Sources close to Harvey Weinstein told The New York Post's Page Six on Monday that the 22-year-old model's allegations were an attempt at 'blackmail'

She added: 'Despite the indecency of the proposal, both because of my psychological subjection in which I found myself and because of the severe poverty of my family I felt forced against my will not to refuse the money.

'From that time on he began to demand sexual relations in compensation for the cash which happened once a week. I did not have the strength to get out of the vicious circle.'

According to reports in Il Giornale, Miss Battilana's statement continued that a few days later 'the businessman took me to an apartment in his possession... under his domination, I went in'.

She told the police that the businessman began to 'to violate my every wish'.

Afterwards, she received €2,000. Ten days later, the same thing happened and she received another €2,000 and the relationship continued in this manner.

She said: 'With the money received I helped my mother and bought designer clothes, bags, shoes, furs, jewelry and more.'

At Christmas, the 70-year-old spent €5000 on her at a large clothing store.

'I continued to feel uncomfortable about the situation', she said. But she got an apartment in the city center in which everything was paid for with the businessman's money, Il Giornale claimed.

She said in her statement that she suffered the 'commodification of my person' and became 'aware of being used by a man who treated me like a prostitute'.

The relationship ended after she was accepted into the Miss Italia 2010 pageant.

Il Giornale newspaper is owned by the Berlusconi family.

Miss Battilana gave statements to Italian authorities about disgraced Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi's 'bunga-bunga' orgies in 2010 to which she was invited as a Miss Italia contestant and aspiring model.

Ambra's lawyer Patrizia Bugnano, a senator, started proceedings against Berlusconi in October last year for defamation after the ex-politician said that she 'brainwashed' or 'manipulated' the two girls.

Miss Battilana also said never had sex for money during a 2012 court trial involving Berlusconi's sex parties.

She has sued for damages over her image but it is unclear whether she has been awarded a financial sum.

Weinstein was questioned by the NYPD this weekend over the alleged fondling of the former Miss Italia contestant, who was identified by Page Six on Monday.

On Friday, the model reportedly told police that Weinstein, who is married with five children, touched her breasts and thigh at his offices in the Tribeca Film Center in downtown Manhattan.

Battilana previously told Italian authorities about witnessing a so-called 'bunga-bunga' orgy involving Berlusconi at his Milan mansion in 2010.

She claimed she had seen young models performing stripteases and baring their breasts to be kissed by the Italian leader during a raunchy dinner party.

Miss Battilana formerly competed for the Miss Italia crown in 2010 and represented the region of Piedmont.

The former beauty queen has an international modeling career, shooting editorial campaigns in Europe and the U.S. for designers and magazines

Italian newspapers in 2012 reported that Ambra Battilana had made a rape complaint against a 70-year-old car dealer, ex-boyfriend when she was under 18. The case was dismissed after she never showed up to talk to prosecutors about the allegations

She describes herself as an Italian model of Philippines,Spanish, Italian and Greek descent on social media and is originally from Turin.

Her mother is Filipino and came to Italy as a classical dancer where she met her father in Verona. He was originally from Lucca in Tuscany but living in Turin at the time.

Miss Battilana went to the Guarini Institute in Turin where she studied to become a chartered surveyor.

After becoming famous through the Miss Italia pageant, she began modeling professionally in 2011, according to social media. She works internationally in Milan, London, Paris and New York.

The 22-year-old recently shot an editorial campaign for Bambi magazine in Agent Provocateur lingerie and has been used as a model by a number of different photographers including Marcello Cassano and Kat Irlin.

Photographer Marcello Cassano, who previously dated Miss Battilana, told Daily Mail Online on Tuesday: 'Ambra has a magnetic beauty and a strong personality oriented mainly in success.'

He added: 'She comes from a poor and not traditional family.'

The former boyfriend also alleged that since the model was a minor, she has had problems in court, first over being paid by an older boyfriend and then in relation to Berlusconi.

Of their relationship, Mr Cassano said: 'We were together for a year, breaking up at the end of Berlusconi's trial when she was claiming to receive a big amount of money as compensation.

'At that time I was hoping that she was able to change but I'm glad we broke up.'

A social media picture posted by the model showed seats at the Spring Spectacular in Radio City Music Hall on Thursday where she reportedly met Hollywood heavyweight producer, Harvey Weinstein

Harvey Weinstein seen with a smile on his face as he enters his office building in New York City on Tuesday. The movie producer has been accused of groping a 22-year-old woman last Friday

She established a new Twitter account on Monday and posted the message: 'Don't stop Dreaming just because you had a Nightmare.'

In 2011, Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera, reported that Miss Battilana told police during interviews that she attended a party at Berlusconi's mansion when she was 19 where girls were performing stripteases and topless dancing after being paid to attend.

The Manhattan District Attorney has yet to decide whether charges will be filed against Weinstein.

The DA's office declined to comment to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Online on Tuesday.

Sex crimes detectives reportedly spoke with Miss Battilana on Monday.

A source close to the investigation told the New York Daily News that Weinstein met with the model at the offices of the Weinstein Company in Tribeca, at 6pm on Friday.

Weinstein reportedly first met the former Miss Italy contestant the night before at his New York Spring Spectacular show in Radio City Music Hall.

The 22-year-old model posted a picture on her Instagram account, from Radio City Music Hall, with the hashtags: '#NewYork #Spring #Spectacular #Rockettes #RadioCity. #tonight #fresh #popcorn.'

The pair exchanged emails and arranged for Battilana to come in to the offices for an audition and to 'talk business'.

Miss Battilana (left), a former beauty queen, allegedly previously witnessed a 'bunga-bunga' orgy involving Berlusconi and offered testimony to Italian authorities. Right, she is pictured leaving a Milan court with her lawyer in July 2013

A BACKGROUND IN BUNGA-BUNGA: MODEL'S EYE-WITNESS ACCOUNT FROM A SILVIO BERLUSCONI ORGY Ambra Battilana gave previous statements to Italian authorities after claiming she had been invited to one of ex-Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi''s now infamous orgies at his Milan mansion in 2010. In statements she told investigators: 'Marysthell [Polanco, a former model] said that if Berlusconi noticed me it would make my career. Emilio Fede [an Italian TV star] told me that the twins from Naples had received a payment of €3000 each to participate in the dinner. Berlusconi kept looking at Chiara and me. He dedicated songs in French and Italian to us. The worst was yet to come. Fifteen minutes after we'd sat down, some of the girls uncovered their breasts, offering them to Berlusconi so he could kiss them. They also touched the Prime Minister's intimate parts and made him touch theirs. While this was happening, the girls were still singing "thank goodness for Silvio!" and calling the Prime Minister "Papi" and Berlusconi called all of us "my little girls, my little girls"'.

'At a certain point, Nicole Minetti [a showgirl, pictured right], put on a performance. She was dressed in one of those outfits you rip off. She was completely nude and dancing around the pole. Once she was nude, she approached Berlusconi, and dancing in a provocative way, put her ass in his face. then she spun around and put her breats against his mouth and the Prime Minister kissed them. The other girls tried to join in this dance started by Fede and Berlusconi. Behind me I heard remarks such as: "What have these two come for?"All the girls came around us, touching us, trying to remove our clothes, they were touching us everywhere.'

'Berlusconi showed us the swimming pool and the gym and said that next time, he'd organize a party in the pool, so that we could be more intimate and get to know each other.' Advertisement

At the meeting, Weinstein, who produced hit movies Pulp Fiction, The King's Speech and Gangs Of New York, allegedly asked the Italian model if her breasts were 'real', Page Six reported.

Battilana allegedly previously witnessed a 'bunga-bunga' orgy involving disgraced Italian premier Berlusconi (pictured) and offered testimony to Italian authorities

Weinstein then allegedly grabbed the woman's breasts, prompting her to say 'no' to try to make him stop.

The 22-year-old left the film center and filed a complaint at the 1st Police Precinct in Tribeca.

Weinstein was reportedly interviewed by the NYPD Special Victims Squad on Saturday after going to the police precinct voluntarily.

During the interview, he wanted to speak to his lawyer and left of his own accord.

Surveillance footage from outside the Tribeca office was being analyzed, according to police sources.

Daily Mail Online was awaiting a comment from The Weinstein Company.

Weinstein, who is originally from Queens, New York, founded Miramax studio with his brother Bob in 1979 and is worth an estimated $200 million.

He is married to British-born fashion designer Georgina Chapman, 25 years his junior, who founded the luxury label Marchesa.

The couple have been together for seven years and have a young son and daughter.

Weinstein has been married to his second wife, 38-year-old fashion designer Georgina Chapman, since 2007. The couple have two young children together

Weintein also have three older daughters from his first marriage to his former assistant, Eve Chilton which ended in 2004.

New York Spring Spectacular show featuring The Rockettes is currently playing at Radio City Music Hall and was produced by Weinstein.

The Hollywood heavyweight skipped the New York premiere of his latest movie, Women In Gold, at the Museum of Modern Art on Monday night where stars Helen Mirren and Katie Holmes were seen on the red carpet.

The alleged groping took place on Friday at the Weinstein Company offices in Manhattan (pictured) where Miss Battilana had met Harvey Weinstein to discuss business

Leading ladies: The founder of Miramax studio is often photographed with young, attractive actresses, inclduing Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence (left) and Keira Knightley (right)



