Opera’s Domingo denies abusing power, seeks to clear name

NAPLES, ITALY » Opera legend Plácido Domingo denied ever abusing his power during his management tenure at two U.S. opera houses in an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday, as he embarks on a full-throttle campaign to clear his name after two investigations found credible accusations he had engaged in “inappropriate conduct” with multiple women over a period of decades.

Domingo deflected direct questions about whether he ever sexually harassed women, accusations that were first reported by the AP last summer. The allegations have crippled his career in the United States, as well as his native Spain.

“I never promised a part to a singer, or never take a part from a singer,” he said. “I have spent my whole life helping, and you know, encouraging and driving people.”’ He added that responsibilities within opera companies are divided, meaning he never had sole sway over casting decisions.

“People that deserved to sing were singing,” he said.

Multiple performers told the AP that Domingo harassed them and abused his power while he held management positions at Los Angeles Opera and Washington National Opera. Numerous women said Domingo had dangled career opportunities as he pursued sexual relationships with them and then withdrew the offers or stopped hiring them when they rejected his advances.

Investigations by LA Opera and the American Guild of Musical Artists found the sexual harassment allegations to be credible. LA Opera did not find he had abused his power, but AGMA found a clear pattern of such abuse, according to people who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the findings.

Two of Domingo’s managers and a spokesperson briefly cut off the interview when the singer was asked to respond to the fact that both investigations had found the sexual harassment accusations credible and that one had found a pattern of abuse.

AGMA has never released the full report of its findings, but Domingo’s team referred to two written statements by the union — one for the public and one for members — neither of which mentioned abuse of power. They also cited Washington Opera never launching an investigation as an indication that such allegations were baseless.

“Never, never, never,” Domingo said, when asked again if he had misused his power as a manager.

Domingo put the focus on the abuse of power allegations during a wide-ranging interview in the library of his Naples hotel. It has emerged as his main line of defense against the accusations that tarnished a year in which he celebrated his 50-year anniversaries at both Milan’s La Scala theater and Arena di Verona.

The star tenor, who has moved into baritone roles, has emerged from a bout with coronavirus that put him in the hospital in Mexico for 10 days in March with a mission to rehabilitate his opera career as he approaches his 80th birthday.