Julio Iglesias, accused of sexual assault against former employees of his mansions
Two women report the harassment, control, and abuse they were allegedly subjected to by the musician on a regular basis in 2021
BarcelonaTwo women who worked for Julio Iglesias at his Caribbean mansions in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas have accused the singer of sexually assaulting them, according to an investigation published Tuesday by Eldiario.es and Univision News. The alleged events took place in 2021, and the victims, one a live-in domestic worker and the other a physical therapist, claim they were pressured into having sex with Iglesias, slapped, groped, insulted, and subjected to physical and verbal abuse, as well as a hostile environment. Neither Julio Iglesias nor his entourage have made any statements.
One of the women explains that, with the presence and participation of a higher-ranking domestic worker, Iglesias would take her to his room almost every day and penetrate her anally and vaginally with his fingers or force her to perform oral sex on him. The other woman explains that the musician would kiss her and touch her breasts whenever he wanted, in everyday situations. The events occurred at Iglesias's homes in Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) and Lyford Cay (Bahamas), with the knowledge and complicity of those in charge of managing the mansion and the staff. The youngest was 22 years old and the musician was 77.
The alleged victims went to an international human rights organization to report their testimony and received legal advice before going to the media. Eldiario.es They maintain that this is an investigation that has lasted three years, for which they have contacted about fifteen women who worked for the musician and other employees. The victims were working-class women who were live-in and rarely left the mansions. They were young (25-35 years old), were not allowed to be friends, and could not have a partner while working for Iglesias. To get the job, they had to submit five photographs. The selection was made by the head of staff. They were required to undergo medical examinations, including gynecological visits and tests for sexually transmitted diseases.
They also explain that the singer had an irascible temper, which made them live in a state of tension, under a very hierarchical and isolated work structure. There was "the staff" and "the ladies," who could be physiotherapists or the managers, who had a different status. The musician controlled the staff members' cell phones, what they ate, and when they had their periods, and he subjugated them "through fear." When they refused his sexual demands, he humiliated and emotionally blackmailed them. According to the newspaper, Iglesias employs dozens of workers, up to sixteen, who work the required hours every day, without regular vacations. Those chosen accompany him on trips and stays, for example in Spain, but they are not allowed to leave the house normally. They were required to swim in the sea with him in bikinis and to give him massages, and one witness described almost daily sexual submission. In some cases, the woman who managed the house also participated in the encounters, and on other occasions, she justified it by telling the worker that it served to alleviate the musician's pain. The women lament that their economic and social vulnerability was exploited to perpetrate these sexual, labor, and psychological abuses.
