Nine women accuse opera singer of sexual harassment and coercion in cases that began in the 1980s
Believe the times were different. Placido Domingo
Photo:
EPA
The celebrated opera singer and one of three tenors, Placido Domingo (78), is accused of sexual harassment and exploitation of his status for coercion, said the Associated Press, which has conducted extensive research on Domingo following complaints. The report details the testimonies of eight singers and one dancer.
The complaints against Domingo refer to cases that occurred over three decades, starting in the 1980s, when the famous tenor singer served as singer and musical director at the Washington and Los Angeles Opera houses. The complaints raise a pattern of repetitive behavior: Domingo would stubbornly court young women early in their operatic career, calling them obsessively under false pretense that he wanted to talk "about their career," urging them to meet with him privately in his apartment or hotel, sex. "I was very scared of him," said one complainant, "refusing him was like refusing God."
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AP's report shows that Domingo's behavior was a "known and known secret" in the opera world. Many of the complainants said they were repeatedly warned by their members of the profession not to be in units with Domingo, "not even in the elevator." If they had to dine with him, they were told they should avoid alcohol and meet in a public place, noon and noon.
Eight of the complainants preferred to remain anonymous. Only one of them, singer Patricia Wolfe, chose to publish her name. Most complainants still work in the industry and fear revenge, others fear public humiliation, and even further harassment.
"Every time I stepped off the stage he would lurk behind me, come up to me and put his face in front of me and say in a low voice, 'Do you have to go home tonight?'" Wolf says. "I would hide behind pages so he wouldn't find me," she continues, "but he would find me anyway, and sometimes come to my dressing room, though not invited." Wolf does say that although Domingo did not force himself on her, "It was definitely sexual harassment. Every time I refused his courting I wondered if I hadn't ruined my career."
Another singer testified that she finally succumbed to his courtship, but when she subsequently rejected it, she no longer held any positions at the Los Angeles Opera, and her career was effectively over. Other women argued that, contrary to their wishes, they surrendered to Domingo's firm courting that they feared that refusing a man like him - perhaps the greatest influence in the opera world - could jeopardize their careers.
In his response to the charges, Domingo, who has been married since 1962, wrote that "these anonymous charges are very disturbing, and inaccurate in the way they were presented." He added that he believed all his relationships with women over the years were consensual. "At any rate," he wrote, "I understand that the laws and norms under which we live today are very different from what they used to be, and rightly so."
Domingo, a native of Spain, who began his career at the old Tel Aviv Opera, has for years been considered one of the greatest singers of our generation. In recent decades he has also been conducting musical conducting and conducting. In recent years, some conductors have been accused of sexual misconduct; The career of one of them, James Lewin, was abruptly canceled. Two others - Charles Ditua and Danielle Getty - continue to appear despite the charges.
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