Spanish music icon Julio Iglesias is at the center of a judicial inquiry in Spain, where two former staff members accuse him of sexual assault and creating a workplace defined by intimidation and control. The women, identified under pseudonyms in a joint three-year investigation by Spanish outlet elDiario.es and US network Univision, say the abuse occurred in 2021 at Iglesias' residences in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and Lyford Cay, Bahamas.
- One woman, a Dominican domestic worker referred to as Rebeca, alleges the singer repeatedly summoned her to his room at night, groped her without consent, forced her into threesomes with another employee, and at times slapped her and grabbed her genitals.
- The second woman, a Venezuelan physical therapist called Laura, says Iglesias touched her breasts and kissed her against her will, monitored her eating, insulted her weight, threatened to fire her, and questioned her about her menstrual cycle.
Both women filed a criminal complaint on January 5 with Spain's National Court, which handles alleged crimes committed abroad, the
BBC reports. The investigation by elDiario.es and Univision says their accounts are supported by documents such as photos, phone records, text messages, and medical reports, and includes testimony from other former staff members describing a hostile, high-pressure environment. Spain's judiciary has opened an inquiry into the allegations. Iglesias, 82, a global star since the 1960s with millions of records sold, has not publicly responded; his lawyer also did not answer repeated requests for comment, according to the outlets.
Iglesias, 82, a global star since the 1960s with millions of records sold, has not publicly responded. A woman described as a manager of one of his Caribbean properties called the accusations "nonsense." Reactions in Spain have sharply diverged. Equality Minister Ana Redondo said she wants the case examined "all the way," stressing that lack of consent constitutes assault, and Podemos party leader Ione Belarra urged an end to what she called silence around alleged abuse by powerful public figures. Supporters of Iglesias have pushed back: longtime friend Jaime Peñafiel called the claims "absolute lies," and journalist Miguel Ángel Pastor said he had never heard any such suggestions about the singer.
The allegations land amid broader debates in Spain over sexual violence and accountability, as authorities also probe a separate complaint against late former prime minister Adolfo Suárez. Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso defended Iglesias, saying her government would not contribute to the "vilifying" of artists. Iglesias' biographer, Ignacio Peyró, and his publisher say they will revise a recent biography to include the new claims and have voiced solidarity with the alleged victims.
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