Union To Investigate Allegations Against Singer Placido Domingo

LOS ANGELES, CA — The union representing opera workers launched an independent investigation of the sexual abuse allegations against world renowned singer Placido Domingo, alleging the opera companies can't be trusted to conduct a thorough investigation. The decision comes after a series ofAssociated Press stories in which performers and staffers painted a picture of opera companies complicit in the open secret of the superstar's alleged misbehavior.

The American Guild of Musical Artists sent an email to its members noting that it had asked companies alleging the companies that employed Domingo "have been unwilling or unable to provide AGMA with sufficient assurances about the scope and timing of their investigations, as well as whether or not the findings will be publicly disclosed or otherwise made available to the union."

Among the companies being asked to review allegations of sexual battery and harassment against is The Los Angeles Opera, where Domingo has served as general director since 2003. The Los Angeles Opera hired outside counsel to conduct an investigation. However, opera officials won't say how it will be conducted or whether the results will be made public.

The lack of transparency is worrisome, said Guild officials — especially after investigative reports showed how widespread the knowledge of his allege behavior was. Domingo's accusers contend they were frequently left to fend him off at peril to their careers or they sometimes had allies among opera staffers, who attempted to shield them.

The Guild acknowledged that the investigation was prompted by two Associated Press stories in which multiple women accused the opera legend of sexual harassment or other inappropriate conduct, Fox News reported.

The union's email, sent to members Friday night, said its investigation will be conducted by criminal defense attorney J. Bruce Maffeo, a former federal prosecutor now with the firm Cozen O'Connor.

It quoted Len Egert, the union's national executive director, as saying the investigation would not be limited to conduct at a specific company or during a specific time. Egert said the investigation will "examine the systemic failures within the industry that could have allowed this conduct, if substantiated, to continue unchallenged for decades."

Domingo's spokeswoman has called the allegations in the AP's stories "riddled with inconsistencies" and "in many ways, simply incorrect," but has offered no specifics.

“The ongoing campaign by the AP to denigrate Placido Domingo is not only inaccurate but unethical. These new claims are riddled with inconsistencies and, as with the first story, in many ways, simply incorrect,” spokeswoman Nancy Seltzer told the Associated Press. “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 AP's initial Aug. 13 story , numerous women accused the long- married, Spanish-born superstar of sexual harassment or inappropriate, sexually charged behavior and of sometimes damaging their careers if they rejected him.

In a follow-up story published Thursday, singer Angela Turner Wilson told the AP that Domingo reached into her robe and forcefully grabbed her breast in a makeup room during a 1999 production at the Washington Opera, as the company was then called.

She said she was motivated to come forward with her story after Domingo publicly defended himself, arguing it was unfair to judge him today for past acts governed by old standards of conduct. He further claimed that all his sexual encounters were consensual.

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

Washington National Opera issued a statement saying it was "disturbed and disheartened" by the new allegations but did not say whether it planned to investigate them.

Several sources told the Associated Press Domingo's conduct was egregious during his tenure with the Los Angeles Opera.

Melinda McLain, a former production coordinator at LA Opera told the AP she tried to avoid having Domingo in rehearsal rooms alone with young singers, and tried to give him male dressers only.
“We created these elaborate schemes for keeping him away from particular singers,” McLain told AP. “I never would have sent any woman of any sort into his dressing room.”

She also invited Domingo’s wife, Marta, to attend company parties because the famed tenor behaved in front of his wife.

City News Service contributed to this report. The Associated Press Is A Patch Partner.