Simonetta Stefanelli (born 30 November 1954) is an Italian actress, entrepreneur and fashion designer. Internationally, she is best known for her performance as Apollonia Vitelli-Corleone in the 1972 film The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Her other roles include appearances in Moses the Lawgiver, Scandal in the Family and Three Brothers. Stefanelli was married to the actor/director Michele Placido, with whom she appeared in a number of films, including the 1975 erotic drama Peccati in famiglia. They had three children together, including actress Violante Placido,[1] but they divorced in 1994. Following their divorce, Stefanelli and her children briefly lived in London. A hoax that Stefanelli had died appeared on Internet in 2006, and then again in 2008.
