Opera legend Placido Domingo accused of sexual harassment by 9 women
08/13/2019Placido Domingo, the legendary tenor, conductor and general director of the Los Angeles Opera, has been accused of sexual harassment by nine women over the course of three decades, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.
Eight singers, including retired mezzo-soprano Patricia Wulf, and one dancer told the AP that Domingo pressured them into sexual relationships to advance their careers, sometimes punishing them professionally when they refused his advances.
Three accusers told the AP he forced wet kisses on them without their consent, while another said he put his hand down her skirt. All but Wulf declined to be identified by name for fear of professional reprisal.
In addition, a half dozen other women told the AP that Domingo made them uncomfortable with his “suggestive overtures.”
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In interviews with nearly three dozen people in the opera world — from singers to musicians to backstage staff — the AP said that they had witnessed legendary tenor behave inappropriately and pursue “younger women with impunity.”
A representative for Domingo, now 78 but still a giant force in the opera world, did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
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In a statement to the AP, he said, “The allegations from these unnamed individuals dating back as many as thirty years are deeply troubling, and as presented, inaccurate. … I believed that all of my interactions and relationships were always welcomed and consensual.”
In an acknowledgement that the #MeToo movement has shifted expectations for men in positions of power he added, “I recognize that the rules and standards by which we are — and should be — measured against today are very different than they were in the past.”
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Spanish tenor Placido Domingo during the 10th International Congress of Excellence organized by Madrid’s Regional Government held at Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid, Spain, 15 July 2019. (Photo by Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Spanish tenor Placido Domingo during the 10th International Congress of Excellence organized by Madrid’s Regional Government held at Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid, Spain, 15 July 2019. (Photo by Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN – JULY 15: The tenor Plácido Domingo talks during the delivery ceremony of the Excellence Awards at Teatro de la Zarzuela on July 15, 2019 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Ricardo Rubio/Europa Press via Getty Images)
Spanish tenor Placido Domingo and Marta Ornelas during the 10th International Congress of Excellence organized by Madrid’s Regional Government held at Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid, Spain, 15 July 2019. (Photo by Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Placido Domingo presents Giovanna d’Arco at the Royal Theater on July 12, 2019 in Madrid, Spain.(Photo by Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Placido Domingo presents Giovanna d’Arco at the Royal Theater on July 12, 2019 in Madrid, Spain.(Photo by Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN – JULY 12:Placido Domingo presents Giovanna d’Arco at the Royal Theater on July 12, 2019 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Carlos R. Alvarez/WireImage)
Spanish opera singer Placido Domingo, 78, performs on stage during the dress rehearsal of “Spanish Night” at the 150th Choregie in Orange on 5 July, 2019 (Photo by Christophe SIMON / AFP)(Photo credit should read CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP/Getty Images)
Spanish opera singer Placido Domingo, 78, performs on stage during the dress rehearsal of “Spanish Night” at the 150th Choregie in Orange on 5 July, 2019 (Photo by Christophe SIMON / AFP)(Photo credit should read CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP/Getty Images)
Spanish opera singer Placido Domingo delivers a speech after he accepted the Honorary Professor title at the Pyotr Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine (NMAU) in Kyiv, capital of Ukraine, February 14, 2019. Ukrinform. (Photo credit should read Danil Shamkin / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
GUADALAJARA, MEXICO – MARCH 01: Singer Plácido Domingo rehearses for the show “Plácido en el Alma” at the 3 de Marzo stadium on March 1, 2019 in Guadalajara, Mexico. The concert in honor of Domingo will raise money for Real Madrid foundation’s work in Latin America. (Photo by Leonardo Alvarez/Getty Images)Up Next
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