11 more women accuse Plácido Domingo of sexual harassment

Eleven more women have come forward with allegations of sexual assault against Plácido Domingo since an August Associated Press article exposed decades of the opera star’s alleged sexual misconduct. 

The additional stories, shared with the AP in a story published Thursday, follow a similar pattern of the ones shared with the outlet in August by nine women.

The women allege Domingo’s actions included unwanted touching, persistent requests for private get-togethers, late night phone calls and sudden attempts to kiss them on the lips, according to the AP. 

Domingo’s spokeswoman disputed the allegations in a statement to the AP, claiming the outlet is participating in an “ongoing campaign … to denigrate Domingo” that she said is “inaccurate” and “unethical.” 

{mosads}“These new claims are riddled with inconsistencies and, as with the first story, in many ways, simply incorrect,” spokeswoman Nancy Seltzer told AP. “Due to an ongoing investigation, we will not comment on specifics, but we strongly dispute the misleading picture that the AP is attempting to paint of Mr. Domingo.”

In his initial statement, following the first report of allegations, Domingo said the allegations were “as presented, inaccurate.”

He claimed that he believed his actions “were always welcomed and consensual.” 

It’s that statement that spurred singer Angela Turner Wilson to share her story with AP. She recalled that at 28, while starring as the second female lead in an opera alongside Domingo, who was also the company’s artistic director at the time, he groped her while she looked at him in a mirror one night before a show. 

“It hurt. It was not gentle. He groped me hard,” Wilson, now 48, told The Associated Press. 

“What woman would ever want him to grab their breast? And it hurt,” she said. “Then I had to go on stage and act like I was in love with him.”

Others, such as Melinda McLain, told the AP they would try to shield young female performers from Domingo. McLain, a production coordinator at LA Opera, said she would not put Domingo in rehearsal rooms with the young singers, would supply him with male dressers and would invite his wife, Marta, to attend company parties because “he behaves” when she’s around. 

Wilson, like other performers who shared their experiences with the AP, said she did not report his behavior to management over fear she would be penalized. 

The Los Angeles Opera said it is hiring an outside investigator to determine what action the company should take, if any, against Domingo. 

Last week he performed for the first time since the accusations in Salzburg, Austria.