Ricky Martin will officially respond to allegations made by his nephew in a court hearing Thursday after a Puerto Rico judge granted a restraining order against the singer earlier this month.
He “will directly address the judge at the hearing,” a lawyer for Martin told NBC News on Wednesday. Martin will deny he had any romantic or sexual relationship with his nephew and will challenge accusations that he stalked and harassed his nephew, the lawyer said.
The allegations emerged July 1 when a judge granted a temporary restraining order against Martin under Puerto Rico’s Domestic Violence Prevention and Intervention Law, also known as Act 54, court documents obtained by Telemundo and shared with NBC News show.
The name of the person who requested the protection order was redacted from the documents because cases brought forward under Act 54 are considered civil and confidential to protect the identity of the person coming forward with the allegations.
However, after rumors emerged online last week, Martin’s representatives confirmed that the son of the singer’s half sister had requested a protection order against Martin.
He went to the court voluntarily to request the order, claiming he sustained a romantic relationship with Martin for seven months and now “fears for his safety,” the protection order reads.
“They separated 2 months ago but the respondent does not accept the separation,” he said of Martin, according to the protection order, adding that the singer “calls him frequently.” He also accused Martin of “hanging around his residence on at least 3 occasions.”
Based on these claims, a judge granted the temporary restraining order set to expire Thursday, the day of the court hearing.
Marty Singer, one of Martin’s attorneys, previously told NBC News that “the person who made this claim is struggling with deep mental health challenges. Ricky Martin has, of course, never been — and would never be — involved in any kind of sexual or romantic relationship with his nephew.”
In a Facebook livestream this month, Eric Martin, one of the singer’s half brothers, also said the allegations were made by a nephew who suffers from “mental health problems.”
Following Thursday’s hearing, a judge will determine whether to expand the protection order for a longer period of time or dismiss the case.
The court hearing is set to take place at the the San Juan Municipal Court.
Martin is expected to appear remotely since he is in Los Angeles preparing to perform at the Hollywood Bowl this weekend, his representatives said.
On July 3, Martin released his own statement on Twitter, saying the “protection order entered against me is based on completely false allegations, so I will respond through the judicial process with the facts and the dignity that characterizes me.”
“I am grateful for the countless messages of solidarity, and I receive them with all my heart,” he added.
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