He’s just been given the bombshell news that he will become a father for the first time. And it looks as though Mario Balotelli could use a little support during these turbulent days. The footballer, 21, arrived at his parents’ house in Brescia, Italy, last Wednesday. He gave a thumbs-up as he rolled up in a flaming red Ferrari, possibly to indicate that he is handling the situation well. Mario showed off his muscular frame in a fitted black T-shirt and khaki shorts, adding a touch of his usual bling with a gold necklace. He’s had a busy few days, having presented a football to Italian president Giorgio Napolitano in Rome yesterday as part of an acknowledgement of the team’s achievements.Despite his composure it would be understandable if Mario’s visit to his adoptive parents is to seek some advice following the recent news. Meanwhile his expectant girlfriend, Italian model Raffaela Fico, was seen showing off her growing bump as she boarded a domestic flight from Milan to Rome recently.

She and Mario split just over two months ago after he was linked to a string of other women. But after Raffaela discovered she was pregnant with Mario Balotelli’s baby she decided to give him another chance. The expectant brunette has said the couple were now “rebuilding their relationship”. Her small baby bump was visible under a blue T-shirt as she walked through Milan airport. It is thought she was reuniting with Balotelli, who is currently in the Italian capital with the Italian football team to meet President Giorgio Napolitano.

— Daily Mail

Nia Long explains why she’s not in a rush to marry

She welcomed baby boy Kez in November with basketball star Ime Udoka. But Nia Long isn’t in any rush to walk down the aisle, despite criticism about the couple’s relationship. The Soul Food actress, 41, says she’s “never seen a marriage work”, although admittedly she hasn’t ruled it out. Speaking to Essence magazine, Nia — who also has 10-year-old son Massai with former boyfriend Massai Z Dorsey — said she’s been shocked to hear criticism about her relationship with Ime. She explained: “I’ll be at home with my man, having a perfectly loving time, and I’ll see all these comments on some site about how wrong I am for not being married. I don’t feel less loved or less loving because I’m not married.” But she hasn’t ruled out a wedding with Ime. “Marriage is not a priority for me. I’m not saying I’ll never do it; it’s just not where we are as a family,” she said. The star also credited herself with reaching ’emotional maturity’ to reconcile her relationship with Massai’s father, which admittedly was not easy. “Massai’s dad and I have had the most challenging times, and I wasn’t always sure we wouldn’t end like my mother and father,” she explained. “But we’ve arrived at a place where I can truly say he’s not a baby daddy, he’s my friend, finally. He is an amazing father.” Being a mother to an infant, she said, has also helped her to change her outlook. And the actress is now revelling in her new role as Kez’s mum.

— Daily Mail