MADRID, Jan 13 (Reuters) – A Spanish High Court prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday it was investigating allegations in Spanish and U.S. media outlets that singer Julio Iglesias sexually assaulted two former female employees. Julio Iglesias has been accused of sexual assault and abuse by two former live-in employees, allegations that surfaced this week following a three-year joint investigation by Spanish outlet elDiario.es and U.S.-based broadcaster Univision Noticias. Two women have accused Spanish star Julio Iglesias of allegedly sexually abusing them while they worked as live-in employees at his Caribbean mansions, it has been reported. Spanish prosecutors are investigating allegations that singer Julio Iglesias sexually assaulted two former employees in the Caribbean.
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The latest celebrity to be drawn into the MeToo scandal, Mr Iglesias faces allegations that he abused the two women in 2021 when the younger woman was aged 22. Iglesias could potentially be seen by a Madrid court – which can try alleged crimes by Spanish citizens while abroad. The Spanish prosecutors’ office that handles cases for Spain’s National Court said it had received formal allegations against Iglesias on 5 January. Iglesias – father to Hero singer Enrique – has yet to speak publicly regarding the allegations. Last month, a woman filed a legal complaint alleging that Adolfo Suárez, a former prime minister who was revered for his role during Spain’s transition to democracy, had sexually abused her from when she was 17 years old.
- “I felt like an object, like a slave.” Laura, a physiotherapist, accused Iglesias of kissing her on the mouth and groping her against her will.
- However, a woman identified as a manager of one of the singer’s Caribbean properties said the claims were “nonsense”.
- Both Laura and Rebecca also cited that there was “an atmosphere of control and constant harassment” for employees, and accused the singer of “normalising abuse”.
- Two women have accused the Spanish singer Julio Iglesias of sexually assaulting them while they were working for him and allege that he “normalised abuse” in a coercive, threatening and violent environment.
- The allegations were published on Tuesday after a joint investigation by elDiario.es newspaper in Spain and Univision television.
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The women, identified by the pseudonyms “Rebecca” and “Laura,” allege that Iglesias, now 82, subjected them to non-consensual sexual contact while they worked for him in 2021 at his residences in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and Lyford Cay in the Bahamas. By law, any case in the Caribbean country that involves sexual aggression or violence must be investigated by prosecutors, even if no one has filed a complaint. Panky Corcino, spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office in the Dominican Republic, declined to comment, saying he couldn’t confirm or deny an investigation. Spanish government spokeswoman Elma Saiz said that the media reports regarding Iglesias “demanded respect.”
- The group said that the women were accusing Iglesias of “crimes against sexual freedom and indemnity such as sexual harassment” and of “human trafficking for the purpose of forced labor and servitude.”
- Jovana Ríos Cisneros, executive director of Women’s Link Worldwide, asserted that Spanish prosecutors have decided to take statements from the two women and granted them the status of protected witnesses.
- By law, any case in the Caribbean country that involves sexual aggression or violence must be investigated by prosecutors, even if no one has filed a complaint.
- Ione Belarra, leader of the far-left Podemos party, called for an end to “the silence” in cases of sexual assault by “famous assailants who are protected by their money”.
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Both women have filed a formal complaint with Spain’s National Court accusing Iglesias of sexual assault and human trafficking for the purpose of forced labor and servitude. Former employees interviewed for the investigation also alleged that recruitment for household staff prioritized young women and required applicants to submit photos of their faces and bodies. According to the investigation, the two women were among 15 former employees interviewed about their experiences working for the singer between the late 1990s and 2023. “Given the nature of the allegations and reiterating the confidential (secret) nature of the public prosecutor’s investigation, and in the interests of protecting the alleged victims, it is not appropriate to provide further information.” The news outlets also tried to contact the person in charge of managing the house where the alleged assaults took place, but did not get a response.
Rebecca and Laura claimed they were asked inappropriate questions about their sexual preferences shortly after arriving. In its reporting, elDiario.es wrote that interviews with the women were conducted repeatedly over more than a year and that their accounts remained consistent throughout. Both women said the behavior occurred within what they described as “an atmosphere of control and constant harassment.”
Russell L. King, a Miami-based entertainment lawyer who lists Iglesias as a client on his website, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment by the AP. “Preliminary criminal investigation proceedings have been initiated, which, as you know, are confidential. The former manager said she had only “gratitude, admiration, and respect for the great artist and human being that he is,” describing Iglesias as “humble, generous, a great gentleman, and very respectful to all women”. However, the woman whom Rebeca identified as her first supervisor at the mansion in Punta Cana dismissed the allegations as “nonsense”. 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.
The reports said Iglesias pressured them into sexual encounters and subjected them to additional physical and verbal abuse. For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. She also described the singer as “humble, generous, a great gentleman, and very respectful to all women”. Both Rebecca and Laura also alleged that Iglesias asked them inappropriate questions about their sexual preferences shortly after they arrived. In the report, former employees also claimed that the recruitment process was aimed at young women, and applicants were required to share photos of their faces and full bodies. One of the women is referred to as “Rebecca” to protect her identity, and alleged that the then-77 year old would call her into his room at the end of her shift and touch her inappropriately without her consent.
Ríos said the two women initially contacted elDiario.es, which began investigating the allegations but also advised the women to seek legal help. The Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately return a message seeking comment. “Listening to what (the two women) are seeking and their definitions of justice, it seems to us that filing a complaint with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the National Court of Spain was the path that best suited their definition of justice. The organization said the women in their testimony also accused Iglesias of regularly checking their cellphones, of prohibiting them from leaving the house where they worked and demanding that they work up to 16 hours a day, with no contract or days off. The group said that the women were accusing Iglesias of “crimes against sexual freedom and indemnity such as sexual harassment” and of “human trafficking for the purpose of forced labor and servitude.” The Spanish prosecutors’ office that handles cases for Spain’s National Court said that it had received formal allegations against Iglesias by an unnamed party on Jan. 5.
Spanish singer Julio Iglesias smiles during his star unveiling ceremony at the Walk of Fame in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016.
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Two women have accused the Spanish singer Julio Iglesias of sexually assaulting them while they were working for him and allege that he “normalised abuse” in a coercive, threatening and violent environment. Both women have filed a formal complaint, accusing the 82-year-old singer of human trafficking and sexual assault. BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish prosecutors are studying allegations that Grammy-winning singer Julio Iglesias sexually assaulted two former employees at his residences in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. The singer is accused of sexually assaulting the workers in his Caribbean residences between January and October 2021.
Although she said she had frequently rejected his sexual advances, “there were girls who couldn’t say no. And he did what he wanted with them”. She also described the singer slapping her in the face and grabbing her genitals. Rebeca, who is Dominican and was 22 when the alleged events described took place, also alleged that Iglesias had forced her to take part in threesomes with another female member of staff. The BBC has attempted to contact Iglesias’s representatives for comment, but has not yet received a response. However, a woman identified as a manager of one of the singer’s Caribbean properties said the claims were “nonsense”. According to elDiario.es and Univision, Iglesias and his lawyer did not respond to repeated requests for a response to the allegations ahead of their publication.
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A physiotherapist, who also worked for the singer, claimed she was subject to inappropriate touching, insults and humiliation during her time, in an atmosphere of control and constant harassment. A domestic worker claims she was pressured into having sex with the Spanish singer, describing acts of slapping, physical and verbal abuse. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. Iglesias’s biographer Ignacio Peyró and the author’s publishing house, Libros del Asteroide, have also responded, saying they will update last year’s biography to include the allegations. The president of the Madrid region, the conservative Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has come out in support of the Spanish singer.
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His representatives and record label Sony Music also did not reply to requests for comment. ElDiario.es, Univision Noticias, and other outlets reported that multiple attempts to reach him for comment—via email, phone, letters to his residences, and through his lawyer—received no response. A spokesperson for the court emphasized that the inquiry remains confidential.
Ione Belarra, leader of the far-left Podemos party, called for an end to “the silence” in cases of sexual assault by “famous assailants who are protected by their money”. “When there is no consent there is assault,” she posted on social media. Their reports cite other former employees of Iglesias who describe a threatening, highly stressful atmosphere for those working for him. One of the women interviewed, a domestic worker whose name was changed to Rebeca in the reports, said he would regularly call her to his room at the end of the day and would touch her inappropriately without consent. According to their testimonies, the sexual assaults took place in 2021. The singer employed the two women at his properties in Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, and Lyford Cay, in the Bahamas.
Fernández said prosecutors have not set a date to take statements from the women and noted that prosecutors have up to six months to determine whether the information they receive warrants a criminal prosecution. Jovana Ríos Cisneros, executive director of Women’s Link Worldwide, asserted that Spanish prosecutors have decided to take statements from the two women and granted them the status of protected witnesses. The organization said it did not reach out to authorities in the Bahamas or the Dominican Republic, and that it didn’t know whether authorities in those Caribbean nations have initiated an investigation. Iglesias has yet to speak publicly regarding the allegations.
Univision Noticias and elDiario.es both state that they made numerous attempts to contact Iglesias for comment via email, phone, letter, and via his lawyer, but received no response. In elDiario.es’s report, it wrote that the interviews with the former staff members “describe the women’s conditions of isolation, labour disputes, the hierarchical structure of the staff, and the tense atmosphere created by Iglesias’s short-tempered character”. The second woman, going by the alias “Laura”, alleged that she was kissed on the mouth and groped by Iglesias without consent.
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The allegations were published on Tuesday after a joint investigation by elDiario.es newspaper in Spain and Univision television. The allegations, made in reports by Spanish news site elDiario.es and US outlet Univision, are being investigated by Spain’s judiciary. “He’s a great singer but people can have a dark side,” she said, praising the women for raising their complaints. Spain’s labour minister, Yolanda Díaz, however, described the claims by the two women as “chilling” and said that their accounts had described “sexual assaults and a situation of slavery”. Both Laura and Rebecca also cited that there was “an atmosphere of control and constant harassment” for employees, and accused the singer of “normalising abuse”. The two women who have come forward allege that they were subjected to “inappropriate touching, insults and humiliation” while working for the Spanish singer, and claim that the assaults took place in 2021.
“I felt like an object, like a slave.” Laura, a physiotherapist, accused Iglesias of kissing her on the mouth and groping her against her will. Rebecca, a domestic worker, alleged that Iglesias would regularly summon her to his bedroom at the end of her shifts and touch her without consent, often in the presence of a more senior staff member. Spain’s culture minister said Wednesday that its left-wing government, which holds women’s rights and equality among its priorities, will also consider stripping Iglesias of the state’s Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts that he was awarded in 2010.
Both spoke to and collected testimonies from 15 of the singer’s former employees. Iglesias has not commented publicly on the allegations. Spanish prosecutors confirmed that the complaint was received on January 5 and that preliminary criminal investigation proceedings are underway. The outlet also said the allegations were supported by documentary evidence including photographs, call logs, WhatsApp messages, visas, and medical reports.
“Once again I can reaffirm this government’s firm and complete commitment to take on any act of violence, harassment or aggression against women,” Saiz said Tuesday after the media reports were published. Spanish online newspaper elDiario.es and Spanish-language television channel Univision Noticias published the joint investigation into Iglesias’ alleged misconduct. Women’s Link Worldwide, a nongovernmental organization, said in a statement that it was representing the two women who had presented the complaint to the Spanish court. 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. She said the alleged sexual encounters almost always took place in the presence of another, more senior member of his domestic staff. The assaults were alleged to have taken place in his homes in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Lyford Cay in the Bahamas.
Ana Redondo, the Socialist-led government’s Equality Minister, said in a statement she respected Iglesias’ presumption of innocence but that she believed the women’s testimony. The allegations sparked a noisy reaction in Spain, where he is considered a national treasure. The prosecutor’s office said it had opened preliminary proceedings after a claim was filed on January 5. Support the investigations that demand accountability. The woman whom Rebecca claimed was present during some of the instances of harassment dismissed the allegations, and told the outlet that she only had “gratitude, admiration and respect for the great artist and human being that he is”.
