MADRID (Reuters) – Opera singer Placido Domingo has apologised to the women who accused him of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour, saying he took full responsibility for his actions.
FILE PHOTO: Opera singer Placido Domingo sits during an event at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, U.S., May 11, 2018. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
The singer issued a statement on Tuesday after the Associated Press reported that an investigation by the U.S. union representing opera performers had concluded that the accounts from 27 people who accused Domingo of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour showed a clear pattern of sexual misconduct and abuse of power over at least two decades.
It quoted people familiar with the findings of the probe.
“I respect that these women finally felt comfortable enough to speak out, and I want them to know that I am truly sorry for the hurt that I caused them,” Domingo said in the statement.
“I accept full responsibility for my actions, and I have grown from this experience.”
The 79-year-old, whose career spans more than five decades and has included senior management positions, said he understood that some women were afraid to express how they felt “because of a concern that their careers would be adversely affected.”
Domingo said he wanted to bring about “positive change” in the opera industry.
“It is my fervent wish that the result will be a safer place for all in the opera industry, and I hope that my example moving forward will encourage others to follow,” he added.
The Spanish singer dropped out of a performance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in November following accusations of sexual misconduct levelled by several women in the classical music world.
More than three dozen singers, dancers, musicians, voice teachers and backstage staff have said they witnessed or experienced inappropriate behaviour by Domingo towards women at different opera houses over the last three decades.
Domingo, a tenor who turned to the baritone repertoire later in his career, had originally disputed the accusations against him.
Several opera houses around the world cancelled appearances by Domingo after the accusations.
As the “Three Tenors”, Domingo, Jose Carreras and the late Luciano Pavarotti helped bring opera to a wider audience with concerts around the world in the 1990s.
Reporting by Inti Landauro in Madrid and Jonathan Allen in New York; writing by Andrei Khalip; Editing by Mike Collett-White