The Spanish government said Wednesday it was canceling two upcoming performances by Placido Domingo in Madrid to show support for the women who have accused him of misconduct and take a stand against sexual harassment, becoming the first in Europe to cancel on the megastar since since allegations surfaced last year in the United States.
Spain’s Culture Ministry said that “given the seriousness of the deeds,” and “in solidarity with women affected,” together with Domingo’s declarations of responsibility earlier this week, it had canceled his part in “Luisa Fernanda” at the Teatro de la Zarzuela light opera house in mid-May.
The ministry’s announcement came a day after the main U.S. union representing opera performers said its investigators found the opera star had behaved inappropriately over the course of two decades when he held senior management positions at Washington National Opera and Los Angeles Opera.
In response to the findings, Domingo issued a statement saying that he accepted “full responsibility” for his actions and was “truly sorry for the hurt” that he had caused women.
The full results of the investigation by the American Guild of Musical Artists have not been made public.
People familiar with the findings told the AP that investigators found 27 people who said they were sexually harassed or witnessed inappropriate behavior by Domingo.