Singer and pop icon Ricky Martin is scheduled to appear virtually in a Puerto Rico court on Thursday and is expected to address for the first time his nephew’s stalking allegation against him.
Martin’s 21-year-old nephew has accused the international star of loitering outside his home after he ended a sexual relationship with him, according to Martin’s attorney.Martin’s brother Eric Martin also said in a Facebook Live that the alleged victim is the artist’s nephew, who Insider is not naming and has not come forward publicly himself.
Earlier this month, Judge Raiza Cajigas Campbell issued a temporary restraining order under the island’s Law 54, also known as the Domestic Abuse Prevention and Intervention Act, against Martin.
The restraining order was set to expire, and now a judge will decide whether to extend it beyond Thursday or dismiss it.
Puerto Rican newspaper El Vocero, which viewed the restraining order, quotes it and states that an unnamed petitioner filed for a restraining order after ending a seven-month romantic relationship with Martin. According to the report, the alleged victim claimed Martin didn’t take their break up well and loitered near their home at least three times.
On July 3, Martin wrote on Twitter that the order had been obtained under “completely false allegations” and that he could not comment further because of the ongoing legal matter.
“Ricky Martin has, of course, never been and would never be involved in any kind of sexual or romantic relationship with his nephew,” Marty Singer, attorney for the Puerto Rican singer, told Today in a statement. “We look forward to this awful case being dismissed as soon as a judge gets to look at the facts.”
Martin is also represented by a Puerto Rico-based legal team. Attorneys Carmelo Dvila, Joaqun Monserrate Matienzo, and Harry Mansanet have also denied the accusations.
Several outlets have reported that Martin faces up to 50 years in prison on allegations of incest, but the singer has not been criminally charged. Restraining orders are civil documents filed by individuals and executed by local police.
“News related to jail sentences or other claims are incorrect and untrue. As we have said before, any accusation towards the person of Ricky Martin is incorrect,” the team said in a statement to Insider.
Puerto Rico Police confirmed to Insider that Martin is not under active criminal investigation.
“There is no criminal investigation against him because no complaint was filed against him. The person who applied for the order went in their own right and went straight to court,” Alex Valencia, a Puerto Rico Police spokesperson, told Insider.
Police are responsible for serving anyone who is issued a restraining order but couldn’t locate Martin. Officers gave his lawyer the order instead, Valencia told insider.
“Ricky has a house in Dorado. We tried and failed,” he said. “His attorney was the one we gave the restraining order to.”
Martin has been married to husband Jwan Yosef, a Swedish artist, since 2017. Despite the controversy surrounding the new allegations, Martin is scheduled to play back-to-back shows at the Hollywood Bowl this weekend.
The order of protection comes as the former Menudo member faces a $3 million lawsuit from his former manager Rebecca Drucker over unpaid commissions. Legal documents from that case allude to Drucker “protecting” Martin from a “potentially career-ending allegation.”
Discussion about this post