Who Is Brigitte Nielsen’s Husband? All About Mattia Dessi

Fans saw the beginning of Brigitte Nielsen and Mattia Dessi’s relationship unfold on reality TV.

The couple met in Switzerland in 2004 and moved in together at the end of the VH1 reality show strange love which originally focused on Nielsen’s relationship with rapper Flavor Flav. Nielsen and Dessi’s relationship blossomed and it wasn’t long before the couple tied the knot in a stunning ceremony in Malta.

Nielsen was married four times before she and Dessi tied the knot in 2006.

“I have that real old-fashioned feeling for my family that I’ve always wanted, like my mom and dad had,” she told PEOPLE in 2018. “I finally found the right deal.”

In June 2018, the couple welcomed their first child together and Nielsen’s fifth, a daughter named Frida Dessi.

So who is Brigitte Nielsen’s husband? Here’s everything you need to know about Mattia Dessa.

He is from Italy

Arnaldo Magnani/Getty

Dessi is from Sardinia, Italy, and previously worked as a model. He has since moved to Los Angeles, where he lives with Nielsen and their daughter.

He met Nielsen in Switzerland in 2004

The couple met in Switzerland, in a hotel where Dessi was a waitress. Nielsen was not looking for love at the time, as she was not officially divorced from her fourth husband, Raoul Meyer. However, fate had other plans. “Mattia walked in and I literally fell off my chair,” Nielsen recalled to PEOPLE of their first meeting.

He appeared in a reality TV show Strange love with Nielsen

VH1 reality series Strange love aired in early 2005 as a spin-off Surreal lifein which Nielsen and Flavor Flav became romantic. Strange love followed Nielsen’s often contentious relationship with Flavor Flav, as well as her budding relationship with Dessi. The series ended with Red Sonja star breaks up with Flavor Flav and decides to continue his relationship with Dessi.

He and Nielsen had two wedding ceremonies

On February 21, 2005, Nielsen and Dessi had a wedding in the Dominican Republic. However, the wedding was not legal because Nielsen was still in the process of divorcing Meyer.

Nielsen’s longtime friend, Luigi Balduini, later told PEOPLE that their ceremony was “more like an official engagement.” He added: “They put it on the news that it was a marriage but it was an engagement because she was still legally married.”

The couple were legally married on July 8, 2006 in a ceremony at the Radisson Golden Sands Resort & Spa in Malta.

He is Nielsen’s fifth husband

Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage

Before marrying Dessi, Nielsen was married four times.

From 1983 to 1984, Nielsen was married to Danish musician Kasper Winding, with whom she has a son, Julian Winding. She was later married to actor Sylvester Stallone from 1985 to 1987. She then dated New York Jets player Mark Gastineau from 1988 to 1990; although they never married, they had a son named Killian Marcus Gastineau.

From 1990 to 1992, she was married to photographer Sebastian Copeland. And from 1993 to 2005, Nielsen was married to Swiss actor Raoul Meyer; the former couple have sons Douglas Aaron and Raoul Meyer Jr.

He and Nielsen are 15 years apart in age

Foc Kan/WireImage

In an interview with S. in 2011 GuardNielsen opened up about her marriage to Dessi — and their significant age difference.

“My current husband, Mattia Dessi, is 15 years younger than me and now I’m really happy,” she told the newspaper. “He’s probably mentally more mature than me, but physically we’re not the same and I wonder if he’ll love me when I’m 60 and he’s 45.”

Although the age difference no longer affects the couple, Nielsen said it was difficult at first because of the public scrutiny she was exposed to.

“All those people who were laughing and pointing fingers at me are now divorced, and we’re still together,” she proudly told PEOPLE in November 2023. “We’re a good team.”

He and Nielsen have one child together

Monica Gumm

Nielsen announced in May 2018 that she was expecting her fifth child after undergoing in vitro fertilization for 10 years. The actress debuted her baby bump in a photo on Instagram with the caption, “the family just keeps getting bigger.”

On June 22, 2018, Nielsen and Dessi had a daughter named Frida Dessi. In a statement, the couple told PEOPLE, “We are overjoyed to welcome our beautiful daughter into our lives. It’s been a long journey, and it’s so worth it. We’ve never been more in love.”

It has Flavor Flav’s seal of approval

Although Nielsen ultimately chose Dessi over the “Fight The Power” rapper, there are no hard feelings between the three, and Flavor Flav wishes the best for the couple.

Shortly after Nielsen announced she was pregnant, Flavor Flav shared with PEOPLE how happy he is for his ex. “All I want to see is her happy and all she wants in life. All she wants in life is a happy life and a good family life,” he said.

He added of Dessi: “He’s a great guy, I love the guy.”

“The way I want the best for her is the way I want the best for everyone, not just her [Nielsen]. I can’t wait to see her and Mattia again,” he continued.

He and Nielsen attended Starlite Occident in July 2023

STARLITE/Getty

Dessi and Nielsen traveled to Spain for Starlite Occident — a boutique music and culinary festival in Marbella. The pair were photographed packing a PDA during a Lionel Richie concert and dancing to Ricky Martin’s racy set.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education