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Former employees accuse Julio Iglesias of sexual assault at Caribbean homes
Two women say they faced control, intimidation and abuse while working for the singer in 2021
Two former employees of Spanish singer Julio Iglesias have accused him of sexual assault, describing what they say was an atmosphere of fear, control and abuse of power while working at his private residences in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.The allegations come from a domestic worker and a physiotherapist who say they were employed in 2021 as live-in staff at the artist’s Caribbean homes. Both women claim they were subjected to unwanted sexual behaviour, verbal humiliation and strict control over their daily lives while working for the singer, who was 77 at the time.
One of the women, a domestic worker identified by the pseudonym Rebeca to protect her identity, says she was repeatedly summoned to Iglesias’s bedroom after long working days. “He used me almost every night,” she said. “I felt like an object, like a slave.” She alleges that the encounters involved non-consensual sexual acts and took place in the presence of another employee who held a position of authority. “You feel obligated to do it,” Rebeca says regarding the sexual pressure.
The second woman, Laura, who worked as Iglesias’s personal physiotherapist, claims he kissed her without consent and touched her breasts on several occasions. “We were on the beach and he came up to me and touched my nipples,” she recalled, adding that a similar incident later occurred by the pool at his villa in Punta Cana. “It’s not just that he touches you, it’s that he hurts you… He squeezed them really hard.”
Both women describe a highly controlled working environment, where staff movements were restricted, personal relationships discouraged and phones monitored. According to their accounts, employees were questioned about intimate matters, criticised in public and subjected to insults.
Laura described Iglesias as “a very controlling person” and said he exercised authority “through fear”. “He threatens to fire you and constantly reminds you that working for him is the best thing that’s ever happened to you. He’s always reminding you what the rules are, what you can and can’t do.”
They also describe a strict hierarchy among staff, with domestic workers at the bottom and supervisors tasked with enforcing rules and relaying the singer’s wishes. The women allege that some supervisors pressured staff to comply with sexual requests. One former manager has rejected the accusations as false, describing Iglesias as “a gentleman” and saying she felt only “gratitude and respect” for him.
The women say they were recruited through informal processes, including social media adverts, and were not given written employment contracts. Some staff worked days that stretched well beyond ten hours, with limited rest.
According to the investigation, the two women sought legal advice from an international human rights organisation due to fear of speaking out. Their accounts are said to be consistent with other testimonies from former employees interviewed over several years, who also describe an atmosphere of tension and intimidation.
Another employee, a former cook at the property, said that when she worked at Julio Iglesias’s Punta Cana villa back in 1999, she found him to be “a very aggressive person”, recalling that he was “constantly in the patio, arguing and shouting.”
Julio Iglesias and his legal representatives have been contacted repeatedly for comment but did not respond.
Image: wikicommons
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