Julio Iglesias responds to accusations of sexual assault
MADRID (AP) — Grammy-winning singer Julio Iglesias on Friday denied allegations that he sexually assaulted two former employees, calling the allegations “absolutely false.”
Media reports earlier this week alleged that Iglesias had sexually and physically assaulted two women who worked at his residences in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas between January and October 2021.
A day later, Spanish prosecutors said they were looking into the allegations.
“It is with deep pain that I respond to the accusations made by two people who previously worked in my home. I deny having abused, coerced or disrespected any woman. These accusations are absolutely false and cause me great sadness,” Iglesias said on Instagram.
via News
Spanish online newspaper elDiario.es and Spanish-language television channel Univision Noticias published the three-year joint investigation on Jan. 13 into Iglesias’ alleged misconduct.
A Spanish higher court received formal accusations against Iglesias from an unidentified party on Jan. 5, according to officials there. Iglesias could potentially be brought before the Madrid-based court, which can try alleged crimes committed by Spanish citizens while abroad, according to the court’s press office.
Iglesias, 82, is one of the most successful musical artists in the world and has sold more than 300 million records in more than a dozen languages.
After starting out in Spain, he gained immense popularity in the United States and the rest of the world in the 1970s and 1980s. He is the father of pop singer Enrique Iglesias.
In 1988, he won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Performance for his album “Un Hombre Solo.” He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys in 2019.
“I have never experienced such evil, but I still have the strength to let people know the whole truth and defend my dignity in the face of such a serious affront,” Iglesias said on social media.
He also thanked those who had sent him messages of support.