Placido Domingo Pulls Out of Met Performances Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations
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Plácido Domingo has agreed to withdraw from all future performances at New York’s Metropolitan Opera in the wake of sexual harassment allegations against him made by multiple women, The Associated Press reports.
The singer, 78, had been scheduled to sing the title role in the season debut of Verdi’s “Macbeth” on Wednesday, which would have been his first performance in the United States since news of the allegations broke.
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The company says in a statement “The Met and Mr. Domingo are in agreement that he needed to step down.”
He had sung in rehearsals, and the Met had said as recently as yesterday that he was scheduled to perform Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Opera, where the singer has been General Director since 2003, is conducting an investigation into his conduct.
“We believe all employees and artists should be treated respectfully and feel safe and secure within their work environment. LA Opera has robust human resources policies and procedures in place. In accordance with those policies, LA Opera will engage outside counsel to investigate the concerning allegations about Plácido Domingo,” the opera said in a statement last month.
A total of 20 women have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against the singer according to reports in the AP.
The women accuse Domingo of unwanted touching, persistent requests for private meetings, late-night phone calls and unexpected attempts to kiss them, according to the article.
A spokesperson for Domingo disputed the allegations to the AP but provided no specifics.
“The ongoing campaign by the AP to denigrate Placido Domingo is not only inaccurate but unethical. These new claims are riddled with inconsistencies and, as with the first story, in many ways, simply incorrect,” spokeswoman Nancy Seltzer said. “Due to an ongoing investigation, we will not comment on specifics, but we strongly dispute the misleading picture that the AP is attempting to paint of Mr. Domingo.”
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