Grammy-winning singer Julio Iglesias has denied allegations that he sexually assaulted two former employees, calling the accusations “absolutely untrue.”
Media reports from earlier this week alleged 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 investigating the allegations.
“With deep sorrow, I respond to the accusations made by two people who previously worked at 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.
Spanish online newspaper elDiario.es and Spanish-language television channel Univision Noticias published the joint, three-year investigation on 13 January into Iglesias’ alleged misconduct.
A Spanish high court received formal allegations against Iglesias by an unnamed party on 5 January, according to officials there. Iglesias could potentially be taken in front of the Madrid-based court, which can try alleged crimes by Spanish citizens while they are abroad, according to the court’s press office.
One of the alleged victims, called Rebeca – not her real name – says the Spanish artist, then aged 77, would often call her to his room at the end of the evening.
“He used me almost every night,” she told elDiario.es and Univision Noticias. “I felt like an object, like a slave.”
She said the alleged sexual encounters almost always took place in the presence of another, more senior member of his domestic staff.
Another woman, Laura – also not her real name – claims that Mr Iglesias kissed her on the mouth and touched her breasts against her will.
The 82-year-old Iglesias is one of the world’s most successful musical artists, having sold more than 300 million records in more than a dozen languages. After making his start in Spain, he won immense popularity in the United States and wider world in the 1970s and ’80s. He’s 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 had never experienced such malice, but I still have the strength for people to know the full truth and to defend my dignity against such a serious affront,” Iglesias said on social media.
He also thanked those who had sent messages of support.