Spanish singer Julio Iglesias has issued a public statement denying allegations he subjected two female domestic staffers to sexual harassment and highly abusive working conditions at his properties in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.
The denial came after the advocacy group Women’s Link Worldwide issued a press release saying the women, identified by the pseudonyms Rebeca and Laura, had filed a complaint with Spain’s Public Prosecutor’s Office of the National Court. The women allege Iglesias “assaulted and sexually harassed them, regularly checked their cell phones, prohibited them from leaving the house where they worked, and required them to work up to 16 hours a day, without days off and without a contract,” the press release said.
“It is with deep regret that I respond to the accusations made by two people who previously worked in my home. I deny having abused, coerced, or disrespected any woman. These accusations are absolutely false and cause me great sadness,” Iglesias, 82, wrote in Spanish. “I have never experienced such malice, but I still have the strength to ensure that people know the whole truth and to defend my dignity against such a serious injustice. I cannot forget the many dear people who have sent me messages of affection and support; I have found great comfort in them.”
In the press release issued Tuesday, Women’s Link Worldwide said the alleged abuse occurred between January and October of 2021. The organization said Rebeca and Laura presented their allegations to prosecutors on Jan. 5, alleging “human trafficking for the purpose of forced labor and servitude,” and “crimes against sexual freedom and indemnity such as sexual harassment.” The women are seeking an investigation, the press release said.
“I am doing this to get justice for three reasons. The first is for myself: for how difficult this process has been and for everything I have had to face in order to overcome it. The second is for the women who work in his homes. I want to tell them to be strong, to raise their voices, to remember that he is not invincible. And the third, for my country [the Dominican Republic], so that something like this never happens again and so that he understands that he cannot come and do whatever he wants without facing the consequences,” Rebeca said in a statement provided in the press release.
“My goal is to ensure that no woman ever suffers this kind of abuse from him again. I want to send the message that women are victims and survivors, not perpetrators or guilty parties,” Laura said in a statement.
Amnesty International Spain is supporting the women and calling for an investigation as well. “Violence perpetrated by employers against paid domestic workers is a serious human rights violation. The lack of effective protection places these women in a situation of extreme vulnerability that states cannot continue to ignore,” Ana Rebollar, Deputy Director of Amnesty International Spain, said in a statement included in the press release.
Iglesias, the father of singer Enrique Iglesias, is known for many chart-topping songs, including “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before,” his 1984 duet with Willie Nelson. His nearly six-decade music trajectory has included tracks recorded in a half-dozen languages. His hits include “Soy un Truhán, Soy un Señor,” “Hey,” and “Con La Misma Piedra.”
Iglesias won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys in 2019 and took home the Best Latin Pop Album trophy in 1988 with Un Hombre Solo.
