Sophia Loren Was Once Told She Could Never Conceive But Now At 88 Looks As ‘Stunning As Ever’ In Rare Photo With Sons

Sep 15, 2023 by apost team

Many people who are aware of Sophia Loren respect her for her many achievements throughout her acting career. The Academy Award-winning Italian sensation is considered unique. In her film roles, she is able to combine her exceptional Mediterranean beauty with an amusing and sensitive approach. She has also received praise for portraying women realistically. She was even named one of the greatest actresses of the Classic Hollywood era by the American Film Institute. In any case, Loren is a Hollywood legend and will be remembered as such.

Sofia Villani Scicolone, known professionally as Sophia Loren, was born in 1934 in Rome, Italy. Her breakthrough in the acting industry came in the early 1950s when she appeared in 1953's "Aida." By the following year, she became a household name in Italy when she delivered an outstanding performance in "The Gold of Naples." 

Loren was at the top of her career in 1961 when she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for "Two Women," a movie that mirrored her own childhood during WWII. She has also starred opposite some of Hollywood's most famous leading men including Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant and Anthony Perkins.

Despite her demanding career and her hard upbringing, Loren said she doesn't regret prioritizing her children. And today, she is a proud mother of two successful sons who have followed their own creative paths in the film and music industries.

Loren has also had a complicated love life. She first met Carlo Ponti when she was 15 and he was 37, and after a few years of friendship, the two began dating despite the fact that Carlo was still technically married. They stayed together for 50 years, but not without several complications along the way. Read on to find out more about their love story.

Over the years, Loren has continued to be recognized for her dedicated work as an actress and has become a classic film icon. On top of that, many people have continued to be amazed by her incredible good looks.

However, for Loren, what has mattered most to her are the people in her life. According to the Daily Mail, Loren explained how important becoming a mother was for her. 

“By the time I reached the age of 29, my desire to have children had become an obsession,” she said. “I simply loved children.”

However, at the time, she divulged that an Italian doctor told her “that I could not have children: I always disagreed and in the end he finally was proved wrong. I always disagreed.”

At the time, 29 was considered old to become a first-time mother, and Loren began to question if she would ever fulfill her life-long dream. Soon, though, she began experiencing pregnancy symptoms while playing a mother of seven in a film and went to the doctor to see if she was actually pregnant. 

Loren admitted that she “was desperately happy” and believed she was pregnant, but could tell that “something wasn’t right.” Shortly after, she lost the baby. “Afterwards, I went straight back to work,” Loren said. “But I felt gutted. It was as if the world had been turned off forever.”

Fortunately for Loren, her dream of becoming a mother came true on Dec. 29, 1968, when her first child, Carlo Ponti Jr., was born. She welcomed her second child, Edoardo Ponti, on Jan. 6, 1973. Although Loren was still working during this time, she chose to slow down her career and focus on raising her sons.

While Loren seemed to have it all, she still endured a turbulent love life.

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Loren first met film producer Carlo in 1950 when she was 15 and he was 37. At the time, Carlo had been separated from his first wife, Guiliana Fiastri, but was still technically married. He also had two children with her.

Although the actress has said that the pair didn't begin a serious relationship until a few years later, their love was undeniable and eventually, they wed in Mexico in September 1957. They later annulled the marriage but stayed together, and officially married in France in April 1966. Loren and Carlo were together until he passed away in January 2007.

However, there were other complications within the couple's relationship despite Carlo still being married to someone else when they first met. Loren and Cary Grant, whom she co-starred with in the films “The Pride and the Passion” and “Houseboat,” had an affair.

Loren published a memoir in 2014 detailing more of Grant’s pursuit of her. According to the Guardian, Grant had previously asked Loren to marry him while they were working together; however, she chose to marry Carlo instead.

Speaking with the Sydney Morning Herald in 2019, Loren reflected on this pivotal life decision:

“Cary was in love with me and wanted me to marry him but that would have meant my leaving Carlo and creating a huge scandal.”

The actress also said there was no secret to her long-lasting marriage to Carlo, but instead, a lot of love. Loren explained, “It was love at first sight for both of us … We genuinely loved each other.”

Despite all of the ups and downs, Loren admitted that she doesn’t have many regrets. “I think I’ve reached a peaceful life,” she said. However, she noted: “The only thing I regret a little is that I never got married in a white dress. That was the dream of my life, which is still inside me.”

In an interview with The Guardian in 2020, Loren spoke further about her incredible life. She said:

“Things don’t change too much ... The body changes. The mind does not.”

Still just as beautiful as she was in her youth, the octogenarian even admitted to still sometimes having self-doubt, but she's found a way to silence her inner critic. She explained:

"But then I say to myself: 'Shut up. Be strong. Just keep going and try. Sometimes you make mistakes and sometimes you win.' I made some mistakes ... But still I won."

Loren proved she was very much still winning in life when her daughter-in-law Sasha Alexander, who is married to her youngest son, posted photos from her 50th birthday trip to Geneva. Alexander, an actress who has starred in shows such as “NCIS” and “Dawson’s Creek,” shared a slew of photos from the trip in May 2023, including one of her with Loren and her two sons. The star looked effortlessly chic in a striking blue pantsuit, gold jewelry and vintage glasses as she smiled confidently into the camera while holding Alexander around the waist. 

Followers marveled at how, even at the age of 88, Loren still maintained the good looks that made her a star so many years ago. 

“Sophia looks so good,” one user commented, while another said, “OMG! Sophia looks as stunning as ever. That woman is a Classic Beauty!!”

Others expressed disbelief at Alexander’s luck in marrying into such a famous family. One user quipped, “Sophia LOREN for a mother in law ❤️❤️❤️!!! come ON!! Wow! 😍😍” while another remarked, “I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like having a timeless icon like Sophia Loren for a mother-in-law.”

What do you think about Sophia Loren’s career and love life? Do you believe she married the right person in the end? Do you think she still looks as great as she used to? If you are a fan of this Italian actress, make sure to pass this article on to other fans too!