Spanish prosecutors are investigating legendary singer Julio Iglesias following allegations of sexual assault and human trafficking made by two former employees, according to bbc.com.
The claims, first reported by elDiario.es and Univision following a three-year joint investigation, involve two women who worked at the singer’s estates in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. The women allege that Iglesias, now 82, fostered a “normalised” culture of abuse, coercion, and violence.
According to legal complaints filed on January 5, the alleged incidents took place in 2021. One worker, referred to as “Rebeca,” claimed the singer touched her without consent and forced her into sexual acts. “I felt like an object, like a slave,” she told investigators. A second woman, a physical therapist named “Laura,” alleged that Iglesias subjected her to non-consensual kissing and maintained a controlling environment, even monitoring her menstrual cycle.
The allegations are reportedly supported by documentary evidence, including phone records, text messages, and medical reports.
The case has sparked a fierce debate in Spain. Equality Minister Ana Redondo called for a thorough investigation, stating, “When there is no consent, there is assault.” Conversely, the conservative President of the Madrid region, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, defended the singer, vowing that the region would not participate in the “vilifying” of a national icon.
While allies of the singer have dismissed the claims as “absolute lies,” his biographer, Ignacio Peyró, confirmed that future editions of the singer’s life story will be updated to include the allegations, expressing “solidarity for the victims.”
Iglesias and his legal team have yet to issue a formal response to the claims. The Spanish National Court will now determine if the case proceeds, as it involves crimes allegedly committed by a Spanish national outside of the country’s borders.
•Featured image: Julio Iglesias/Getty Images
