‘Accusations must be proven’: Spain’s Royal Theater backs Placido Domingo amid ‘Me Too’ allegations
The Royal Theater in Madrid has offered its backing to renowned tenor Placido Domingo, confirming that an upcoming performance will go ahead and saying that allegations of sexual harassment against the singer must be proven.
The theater spoke of its “admiration” for the famous performer in a statement confirming that next May’s performance of La Traviata will not be cancelled after the Spaniard was this week accused of sexually harassing women some 30 years ago.
The statement paid tribute to Domingo’s “exemplary career” and his longstanding relationship with the Spanish cultural institution.
“The accusations that are spilled on this type of behavior, given its consequences, must be founded, and be proven in the appropriate instances,” the theater added.
On Tuesday, AP published an article detailing the accusations leveled against Domingo by nine women, all but one of whom remained anonymous. The accusers claim that back in the 1980s, Domingo engaged in inappropriate touching, unwanted kissing and made sexually suggestive overtures.
Domingo responded that the allegations, as presented by AP, were “inaccurate” and that he believed that all of the interactions were welcomed and consensual. “Still, it is painful to hear that I may have upset anyone or made them feel uncomfortable – no matter how long ago and despite my best intentions,” he said.
The Philadelphia Orchestra and the San Francisco Opera hastily cancelled appearances of the tenor when the allegations emerged. However, the approach in Europe has been much more restrained, with several companies saying they would await the results of the pending investigation by the Los Angeles Opera regarding Domingo’s behavior as general director.
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