When organizers announce their decision to put the opera legend's award on hold 'until all this has been clarified,' his publicist states that he never planned to attend the event in Mexico.
- October 5, 2019
AceShowbiz - Placido Domingo has pulled out of Mexico's Batuta Prizes gala concert, following allegations of sexual harrassment.
Domingo was to be honoured with 15 other "great masters" of classical music at the event on Saturday, October 5.
However, on Thursday, organizers told Agence France-Presse they had decided to put his award on hold "until all this has been clarified".
Multiple female co-workers have come forward to accuse Domingo of misconduct and harassment. He has denied the allegations and intends to keep fighting them.
The opera legend's publicist, Nancy Seltzer, told AFP he never planned to appear at the gala, stating: "The event organizers knew from the beginning that he would not be able to attend."
However, organizers claim he planned to be present before their decision, and added in a statement: "Given the accusations... we reiterate our hope that this situation will be cleared up soon, to the benefit of all involved and the classical music community."
The former Three Tenors star, 78, has quit his roles with the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and the Los Angeles Opera in the wake of the allegations, which have come from 20 women, including co-stars and dancers.
Seltzer previously called the allegations, which first appeared in AP articles, "simply incorrect".
"The ongoing campaign by the AP to denigrate Placido Domingo is not only inaccurate but unethical," she states. "These new claims are riddled with inconsistencies and, as with the first story, in many ways, simply incorrect."
"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."
