Sophia Loren, 89, is recovering from emergency surgery

Sophia Loren, 89, is recovering from emergency surgery after sustaining several ‘serious fractures’ following a fall at her home in Geneva

Oscar-winning actress Sophia Loren has had emergency surgery following a fall in her Swiss home, her agent has confirmed.

The 89-year-old fell in her bathroom and sustained several ‘serious fractures’ to different parts of her hip, including her femur, which needed ‘urgent surgery’, her agent Andrea Giusti told the PA news agency.

Sophia’s representative also confirmed both Loren’s sons, Carlo and Edoardo Ponti, were at her bedside.

The Academy-Award winning Italian actress was married to film producer Carlo Ponti Sr from 1966 until his death in 2007.

During her illustrious career, Sophia has starred opposite Hollywood greats including Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant – who she rejected a marriage proposal from after they appeared together in The Pride And The Passion in 1957.

Recovering: Oscar-winning actress Sophia Loren, 89, has had emergency surgery following a fall in her Swiss home, her agent has confirmed (pictured in 2019)

Her performance as Cesira in 1960’s Two Women, directed by Vittorio De Sica, earned her the Oscar for best actress and made her the first actor or actress to win an Academy Award for a foreign-language performance.

In 1990, Loren also won an honorary award at the Oscars for being “one of the genuine treasures of world cinema” who has had a “career rich with memorable performances” and added “permanent lustre” to the industry.

News about Sophia’s condition emerged on Monday and was was shared by the team at her self-titled restaurant chain, who shared the news on their Instagram page.

The statement read: ‘A fall at her home in Geneva today caused Ms Loren hip fractures. Operated with a positive outcome, she will now have to observe a short period of recovery and follow a road to rehabilitation.

‘Thankfully everything worked out for the best and the Lady will be back with us very soon. The whole team at Sophia Loren Restaurant takes this opportunity to wish her a speedy recovery.’

The post announcing Sophia’s surgery news was flooded with support from her devoted fans, wishing the star a speedy recovery.

Sophia had been due to open a fourth branch of her restaurant chain in Bari, Italy, on Tuesday. The Italian native was also due to receive honorary citizenship from the city.

The events have been cancelled along with her other upcoming public engagements.

Painful: The 89-year-old fell in her bathroom and sustained several ‘serious fractures’ to different parts of her hip, including her femur, which needed ‘urgent surgery’ (pictured in 2014)

Update: News about Sophia’s condition was shared by the team at her self-titled restaurant chain, who shared the news on their Instagram page

Sophia will have a short a convalescence before undergoing a long rehabilitation process in order to recover from the surgery.

Sophia most recently appeared in the 2020 Netflix film The Life Ahead, directed by her son Edoardo, which won her a David di Donatello Award for best actress. Sophia plays a Holocaust survivor who bonds with a 12-year-old Nigerian immigrant.

Speaking to Ew.com, she explained: ‘I love cinema so much. I want to keep doing it forever. I know it’s difficult to find good stories, but sometimes I fall in love with the right ones. I intend to make movies forever.’

Earlier this year, Sophia was named as one of the AFT 50 greatest movies of classical Hollywood cinema. She is the only living actress on the list.

Some of her most iconic films include Two Women (1961) and Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963).

She won the Academy Award in 1961 for Best Actress for her performance in the war drama feature, Two Women.

Upon receiving the award, she became the first actress to take home the Oscar for a performance that was not in the English language.

Loren’s last public appearance was at the Armani fashion show in Venice on September 2, which was held during the 80th Venice Film Festival.

Living legend: Earlier this year, Sophia was named as one of the greatest stars of classical Hollywood cinema. Some of her most iconic films include Two Women (1961) and Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963) (pictured here in 1957) 

Sophia looked as glamorous as ever as she arrived at the Film Festival earlier this month, days before her 89th birthday.

The showbiz icon looked wore a blazer and shirt, which she paired with black trousers and flat shoes as she waved to nearby fans upon arrival.

Sophia’s ageless look clearly matches how she feels inside, as she previously opened up about how she feels decades younger.

Sophia said: ‘Sometimes when I say I’m 86, I don’t believe it. I feel 20.’

Discussing ageing naturally, she said: ‘Why change your body and be somebody else if you are happy inside? I never thought of that – never. I like what I have. I like me!’

Sophia was born poor, despite the fact that her father was an Italian nobleman.

He who would not marry her mother, leaving her to raise Sophia and her younger daughter Maria as a single mother.

By age six, the star was hit in the chin and scarred by shrapnel while running to a bomb shelter during World War II.

‘When I was a child growing up during the war, my mind was always in the sky – I wanted to be an actress like Rita Hayworth,’ adding that she needed help to achieve her dream.

‘Now I am an actress, like Rita Hayworth, and it’s beautiful. It’s a dream.’

At age 16, she entered a beauty contest with a dress made of her family’s living room curtains sewed by her grandma.

One of the judges was Italian director and her future husband Carlo, who was 37 at the time.

When she co-starred with Cary Grant in the film The Pride and the Passion in 1957, the duo embarked on an affair – Cary was married to Betsy Drake at the time.

Sophia and Cary’s romantic relationship was over by the time they filmed Houseboat soon after. While Cary wanted to continue their relationship, Sophia chose to marry Carlo.

Marriage: At age 16, she entered a beauty contest with a dress made of her family’s living room curtains sewed by her grandma. One of the judges was Italian director and her future husband Carlo, who was 37 at the time (pictured together in 1966)

Sophia and Carlo married on September 17, 1957 despite the fact he was not yet legally divorced from first wife Giuliana, although they had separated for a while.

In 1962, their marriage had to be annulled so he would not be charged with bigamy since at the time divorce was forbidden in Italy; but they continued to live together.

They became French citizens in 1965 and got a divorce from Giuliana soon after, allowing Carlo and Sophia to marry on April 9, 1966.

They welcomed Carlo Jr in 1968 and Edoardo in 1973; Carlo and Sophia remained together until his death in 2007.

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