Julio Iglesias accused of sexual assault by two former employees

Two women who claim to have worked for Spanish legendary singer Julio Iglesias in 2021 say that the popular artist sexually assaulted them at his residences in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

The accusations against one of Spain's most famous international musicians are made in a report by 'elDiario.es', in collaboration with 'Univisión Noticias'.

According to the alleged victims, Iglesias exercised absolute control and committed abuses of power, with behaviour that they describe as sexual aggression and constant humiliation. The events allegedly took place during the period when both were employed by the singer, who is now 82, one as a domestic worker and the other as a physiotherapist.

The two women, who are identified in the report by the fictitious names of Rebeca and Laura, are reported to have occurred in the mansions that the artist owns in Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) and Lyford Cay (Bahamas).

The journalistic investigation, said to have been conducted over three years and was based on additional testimonies and documents, reveals that one of the former employees claims to have been forced to have sexual encounters with the Spanish artist in which he allegedly slapped and penetrated her in a non-consensual manner.

"I didn't have the option of saying no," Rebeca, who worked as a cleaner in both houses when she was 22 years old, laments to the newspaper. "I didn't even think at the time that I might lose my job, I felt like I was being pushed to do it without saying no. That's what they were trying to do, they were trying to make me do it. That's what they were trying to do, like a submission that I have to do that. He was always like that".

Laura, the physiotherapist, also describes other types of touching and humiliation throughout the day. And whenever the sexual encounters took place, both women say a senior employee of Iglesias' was present.

A woman who worked as a supervisor for Julio Iglesias, with whom one of the accusers claims to have had sexual relations with the singer, described the allegations as "bullshit" and said she only felt "gratitude, admiration and respect" for the artist, whom she described as "humble, generous, a great gentleman and very respectful of all women".

For her part, Laura says she was able to say no and "to a certain extent" Iglesias respected her position. "But there were girls who couldn't say no. And he did what he wanted with them. And he did what he wanted with them", she concludes.

Julio Iglesias is arguably the most celebrated artist in Spanish and Latin music history. According to his website, he is the best-selling Latino artist and one of the top 10 best-selling artists with more than 300 million records sold in 14 languages.

Euronews Culture has contacted Iglesias' representatives for comment to this story.