Placido Domingo: 'I Accept Full Responsibility for My Actions'

He issues apology after union concludes investigation of harassment allegations
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Feb 25, 2020 3:53 AM CST
Report: Union Investigation Finds Domingo Abused Power
Opera tenor Placido Domingo prepares to give autographs after he performed 'Macbeth' from Giuseppe Verdi at Austrian State Opera in Vienna, Austria, Friday, Nov. 1, 2019.   (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)

An investigation into legendary singer Plácido Domingo by the US union representing opera performers found more than two dozen people who said they were sexually harassed or witnessed inappropriate behavior by the superstar when he held senior management positions at Washington National Opera and Los Angeles Opera, according to people familiar with the findings. The investigation, conducted by lawyers hired by the American Guild of Musical Artists, concluded that the accounts from 27 people showed a clear pattern of sexual misconduct and abuse of power by Domingo spanning at least two decades, sources tell the AP. The union's investigation was the first of two independent inquiries launched last year after multiple women accused Domingo of sexual harassment.

The second investigation, still ongoing, was launched by LA Opera, where Domingo resigned as general director in October. Sources say the union investigation found that the allegations included unsolicited touching that ranged from kisses on the mouth to groping and late-night phone calls in which Domingo asked women to come to his residence, and inviting women to go out with him socially with such persistence that some felt they were being stalked. Domingo, 79, issued a statement saying: "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. I accept full responsibility for my actions, and I have grown from this experience."

(More Placido Domingo stories.)

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