Domingo Withdraws From Met Opera After Harassment Reports

NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) – The Metropolitan Opera announced Tuesday (Sept. 24) that Plácido Domingo had agreed to withdraw from his slate of scheduled performances at the opera house following allegations of sexual harassment made by multiple women last month, according to The Associated Press.

Domingo had been scheduled to sing the title role in the season premiere of Verdi’s “Macbeth” on Wednesday night.

Domingo, who reportedly sang in rehearsals over the weekend, issued a statement saying: “I made my debut at the Metropolitan Opera at the age of 27 and have sung at this magnificent theater for 51 consecutive, glorious years. While I strongly dispute recent allegations made about me, and I am concerned about a climate in which people are condemned without due process, upon reflection, I believe that my appearance in this production of ‘Macbeth’ would distract from the hard work of my colleagues both on stage and behind the scenes.

“As a result, I have asked to withdraw,” he added, “and I thank the leadership of the Met for graciously granting my request. I am happy that, at the age of 78, I was able to sing the wonderful title role in the dress rehearsal of ‘Macbeth,’ which I consider my last performance on the Met stage.”

In its statement, the Met said the Spanish-born superstar had “agreed to withdraw from all future performances at the Met, effective immediately.”

Met general manager Peter Gelb reportedly also sent an email to the Met staff saying, “We are grateful to him for recognizing that he needed to step down.”

The Met had been under increasing pressure to cancel the famed opera star’s appearances, however, Gelb said that the opera house was awaiting results of investigations by the LA Opera, where Domingo has been general director since 2003, and the American Guild of Musical Artists, the union that represents various opera staff, according to the AP.

The Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Opera and Dallas Opera all previously canceled upcoming concerts starring Domingo after the AP stories were published.