Davide Sanclimenti’s girlfriend ‘facing prison sentence over £2,600,000 charge’
Davide says 'there's so much more of this extraordinary story'.
Love Island winner Davide Sanclimenti says he knew about his girlfriend’s $2,600,000 (£2m) tax row ‘all along as she faces prison time.
The reality star, 30, won the ITV series in 2022 with ex-partner Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu but the pair broke up in January 2024. In January 2025, he started publicly sharing his relationship with Iris Au, 35.
Iris has pled guilty to a federal criminal tax charge after failing to report illicit gains through her then-boyfriend – cryptocurrency fraudster Iza known as ‘The Godfather’ – and could serve up to three years.
The Italian TV personality told The Mail that he ‘stole’ Iris from Iza, and said it was like something from a ‘Hollywood blockbuster’.
He added: ‘The truth is that I knew about her situation from the start which is why I was protecting her.
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‘Iris is an amazing person who has been through difficult situations that most people could never understand.
The reality star praised his girlfriend as an ‘amazing person’ (Picture: Instagram/Davide Saclimenti) He used to date Ekin-Su but the couple broke up in January 2024 (Picture: Matt Frost/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)‘There’s so much of this extraordinary story that people don’t know yet. I will be there by her side to supply her as she deserves all the support and understanding.’
Iris failed to report $2.6 million in crypto income obtained through Iza’s illegal activities.
A report from the United States Attorney’s Office says Iris made a plea deal and will make her first court appearance in downtown Los Angeles imminently.
Her exact charge is in single-count information with subscribing to a false tax return.
The statement reads: ‘[Iris] Au admitted in her plea agreement that she transferred more than $2.6 million from these various accounts to her personal bank accounts during the period 2020 through 2023, income that she willfully failed to report to the IRS on her federal tax returns.
‘After pleading guilty, Au will face up to three years in federal prison.’
Per The Mail, the report also outlines that Au ‘created shell corporations and opened bank accounts in the names of those entities under Iza’s direction.
From the illicit funds in those accounts, she paid $1m (£769k) to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies who acted as private security for Iza and targeted those he had financial and personal disputes.
Iris has pled guilty to a federal tax charge (Picture: Instagram/Davide Saclimenti)Iza has been in federal custody since September 2024 and on January 30 appeared before a federal judge where he pled guilty to conspiracy against rights, wire fraud, and tax evasion.
During his sentencing in June, he could face up to 35 years in prison.
Davide has been vocal about his relationship with Iris in recent months.
For Valentine’s Day, he posted a lengthy tribute to his girlfriend where he praised her as the ‘most romantic woman’ he had ever met along with several photos of the two of them together
The caption continued: ‘You’re the most kind and genuine person. We were supposed to meet as friends, but from that first “friendly date”, we’ve been inseparable. I loved that you didn’t know who I was. You love deeply because you’ve been through a lot, and that made me want to protect you.
‘Thank you for believing in me, for bringing out my best, and for being someone who pushes me to grow.
‘True love is wonderful because it doesn’t destroy you. I know we met for a reason and I’m glad we’re healing each other. We don’t have to be together—we choose each other every day.’
Metro has reached out to Davide’s representative for comment.
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