Hamburg Hamburger Elbphilharmonie or Salzburger Festspiele: The big concert halls of Europe have been holding on to Plácido Domingo - despite extensive harassment accusations against the star tenor. His audience still celebrates him. The news agency AP have now reported but eleven more women ... from attacks and harassment by the Spanish superstar.
Among the women is Angela Turner Wilson. She met Domingo in a staging at the Washington Opera in the season 1999/2000. Shortly before a performance, the singer, at that time also artistic director of the opera, suddenly got her into the cutting. "It hurt, he got tight," says Wilson.
The 48-year-old, who now gives voice lessons at a college, felt motivated by Domingo's statement to the first allegations to describe their own experiences. 78-year-old Domingo said in a statement that the allegations were "deeply disturbing and, as they are presented, incorrect". He had always assumed that his interactions and relationships with others had been consensual.
"However, I realize that the rules and standards we are measured on today - and should be measured - are very different than in the past," said Domingo. That Domingo's behavior was previously accepted, Wilson argues, "What woman ever wanted him to touch her breasts?"
"No women in his fits"
Other interlocutors told AP that they had long been critical of Domingo's behavior and therefore kept him behind the scenes at a distance from women. They have developed complicated strategies, according to a Los Angeles and Houston opera production staff member to keep Domingo away from certain singers. In addition, one had taken care not to send women into his wardrobe.
Until the 2016/2017 season, they tried to avoid sending women to try on Domingo, according to another Los Angeles opera employee. The singer had been known to "get too close, hug, kiss, touch and show physical affection". Also at management level, they knew it.
Domingo has commented on a spokeswoman for the new allegations. "AP's ongoing campaign to derogate Plácido Domingo is not only inaccurate but unethical as well, and these new allegations are criss-crossed with inconsistencies and, as in the first report, in many ways incorrect," the statement says , Since this is an ongoing investigation, you will not go into detail.