Placido Domingo Revises Apology

Opera star backtracks a bit after cancellations
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Feb 27, 2020 4:36 PM CST
Placido Domingo Revises Apology
In this Aug. 28, 2019 file photo, opera star Placido Domingo salutes spectators at the end of a concert in Szeged, Hungary.   (AP Photo/Laszlo Balogh, File)

Opera star Placido Domingo amended his apology to the multiple women who have accused him of sexual misconduct, adding several caveats Thursday to a statement two days earlier in which he said he took “full responsibility” for his actions, the AP reports. In a statement on his Facebook page, posted as several European concert halls moved to cancel his appearances, the legendary tenor said he wanted “to correct the false impression generated by my apology." “My apology was sincere and heartfelt, to any colleague who I have made to feel uncomfortable, or hurt in any manner, by anything I have said or done," he wrote. “But I know what I have not done, and I'll deny it again. I have never behaved aggressively toward anyone, and I have never done anything to obstruct or hurt anyone's career.”

In his Tuesday statement, Domingo had said: "I respect that these women finally felt comfortable enough to speak out, and I want them to know that I am truly sorry for the hurt that I caused them. I accept full responsibility for my actions, and I have grown from this experience." Domingo's spokeswoman, Nancy Seltzer, offered no immediate comment when asked how to reconcile the dual statements. The star's initial statement came in response to the findings of an investigation by the US union representing opera performers, which found the star had behaved inappropriately over the course of two decades when he held senior management positions at Washington National Opera and Los Angeles Opera. His words set off a backlash in Spain, which became the first country in Europe to cancel on the megastar since the sexual harassment allegations surfaced last year in two stories by the AP. (More on the cancellations, including new ones that came Thursday, here.)

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