Elena Sofia Ricci says end of 19-year marriage to Stefano Mainetti was "painful but necessary"

Italian actress Elena Sofia Ricci discussed the end of her nearly two-decade marriage to film composer Stefano Mainetti during an appearance on the RAI 1 talk show "La volta buona," hosted by Caterina Balivo, on October 23, 2026, according to Il Fatto Quotidiano.

Ricci, 64, told Balivo that relationships can end even when they are not expected to, describing the end of her marriage as painful but necessary, according to the Wonder Channel report on the same broadcast.

"I am not single, I am alone"

During the interview, Ricci drew a distinction between being single and being alone. Il Fatto Quotidiano quoted her as saying, "Non sono single, sono sola. Io ho avuto un lunghissimo matrimonio. Le cose purtroppo possono finire. È stato doloroso però era forse necessario" ("I am not single, I am alone. I had a very long marriage. Unfortunately things can end. It was painful, but perhaps it was necessary").

Wonder Channel reported that Ricci elaborated on the distinction, saying that someone who is single is in some way looking for a partner, whereas she considers herself simply alone and not currently seeking a new relationship.

The marriage to Stefano Mainetti

Ricci married composer and conductor Stefano Mainetti in 2003, according to the profile published by Ohga.it. The couple's daughter, Maria, was born in 2004. Ohga.it reported that the marriage ended in 2022 after what it described as an irreparable crisis, with the separation reached by mutual agreement and without public conflict.

Mainetti, a composer trained at Rome's Santa Cecilia Conservatory, has written soundtracks for Italian television and film, including the 2005 series "Orgoglio," for which he received the Cinemusic prize at the Ravello Festival, Ohga.it reported. The outlet noted that neither Ricci nor Mainetti had publicly commented on the split before this year, despite years of industry speculation that the couple had grown apart.

Ricci has two daughters: Emma, from an earlier relationship with actor Pino Quartullo, and Maria, with Mainetti, according to Wonder Channel. English-language Wikipedia also lists an earlier marriage to Luca Damiani that ended in divorce before her relationship with Quartullo.

A career spanning four decades

Ricci, born Elena Sofia Barucchieri on March 29, 1962, in Florence, began her screen career in 1984 with the film "Impiegati," for which she won a Globo d'oro as best new actress, according to Wikipedia. Her television roles since have included the long-running series "I Cesaroni" and "Che Dio ci aiuti."

She won the David di Donatello award for best actress in 2019 for her role as Veronica Lario in Paolo Sorrentino's film "Loro," per Wikipedia. On the October 23 broadcast, Dilei.it reported that host Balivo became emotional while replaying footage of Ricci's 2019 awards-ceremony speech, in which Ricci dedicated the prize to her daughters and said she hoped they could live by their passions as she has.

The interview came as Ricci promotes the third season of the RAI 1 crime drama "I casi di Teresa Battaglia," according to Il Fatto Quotidiano.

Family reunion after decades apart

In the same interview, Ricci described reconnecting with her father and siblings after being apart for about 30 years, calling the reunion very moving, Il Fatto Quotidiano reported. She said she and a sister living in Italy, while other siblings reside in the United States, recognized shared mannerisms and speech patterns despite having grown up apart.

• Married Stefano Mainetti in 2003; their daughter Maria was born in 2004.
• The couple separated in 2022 after what was described as an irreparable crisis.
• Ricci publicly addressed the split for the first time on "La volta buona" on October 23, 2026.
• She also has a daughter, Emma, from an earlier relationship with actor Pino Quartullo.