- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
- Click here to share on LinkedIn (Opens in a new window)
- Click to email a friend (Opens in a new window)
(CNN) - Opera star Plácido Domingo faces more accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior, which he disputes and says they are "plagued with inconsistencies."
The Associated Press reports that 11 more people have filed charges against Domingo that include verbal harassment and handling, following an initial media report in August.
One of the women, Angela Turner Wilson, now a retired music teacher in Texas, said that when she was 28 years old and was an aspiring professional opera singer, Domingo allegedly touched her chest behind the scenes during the 1999-2000 Washington season Opera.
"It hurt," he told the AP. “It was not gentle. He groped me hard. ”
“The AP’s ongoing campaign to denigrate Placido Domingo is not only inaccurate but unethical. These new statements are plagued with inconsistencies and, as in the first story, in many ways, they are simply incorrect, ”Nancy Seltzer, a spokesman for Domingo, told CNN in a statement. "Due to an ongoing investigation, we will not comment on details, but we vigorously discuss the misleading image that the PA is trying to paint Mr. Domingo."
CNN has contacted Wilson and the Washington Opera for comment, but has not corroborated their accusations independently.
Wilson said he did not report the incident at that time, citing fear of professional reprisals, according to the AP.
In August, Domingo described the initial accounts as "inaccurate", but did not specify what aspects he was referring to.
"The accusations of these unidentified individuals dating back to thirty years are deeply worrisome and, as they arise, inaccurate," Domingo told CNN in a statement at the time.
“Still, it is painful to hear that I could have bothered someone or made them feel uncomfortable, no matter how long ago and despite my best intentions. I believed that all my interactions and relationships were always welcome and consensual. ”
It is not clear if any of the women denounced their employers or the authorities. LA Opera is investigating the accounts.
“LA Opera has solid human resources policies and procedures in place. In accordance with those policies, LA Opera will hire an outside lawyer to investigate the allegations concerning Plácido Domingo, ”a spokeswoman for LA Opera said in a statement to CNN last month. .
"Plácido Domingo has been a dynamic creative force in the life of LA Opera and the artistic culture of Los Angeles for more than three decades," the statement continued. "However, we are committed to doing everything possible to foster a professional and collaborative environment where all our employees and artists feel equally comfortable, valued and respected."
The Los Angeles Opera did not announce whether Domingo was placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation. It remains publicized to appear at the "Roberto Devereux" in Los Angeles in February.
Domingo, 78, is considered one of the best opera singers of all time. He has won 14 Grammy and Latin Grammy awards and performed with fellow tenors Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras as part of the Three Tenors.
#MeToo