Legendary operatic tenor Plácido Domingo announced that he is withdrawing from performances at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, without making any mention of the sexual harassment allegations recently made against him.
The news comes after the Metropolitan Opera ousted Domingo amid these allegations.
Domingo had been scheduled to appear at the Olympics alongside Ichikawa Ebizo XI, who is a well-known Kabuki actor in Japan, in a performance that was to mix the two art forms.
In spite of the spate of allegations made against Domingo and all the controversy it has spawned, he is still popular in some parts of the world, especially in Europe. Just last month, he reportedly received two standing ovations at the Salzburg Festival. He also performed without apparent incident at the Zurich Opera in Verdi’s Nabucco.
According to Domingo’s website, the singer is also scheduled to appear in nearly a dozen operas and other concerts in Europe through the following year. This includes a concert next month celebrating the 50th anniversary of the La Scala in Milan, Italy.
Plácido Domingo is further still the chairman of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
In Domingo’s announcement, which the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee released, he said, “After thoughtful consideration, I have made the decision not to participate in the Kabuki-opera event due to the complexity of the project.” At the same time, he called the performance “a wonderful cultural initiative.”
In August of this year, nine female performers accused Domingo of using his power to coerce them into sexual relationships. They also accused him of groping and forced kissing. Domingo has strongly denied the charges, saying that they were “deeply troubling, and as presented, inaccurate.” He added that “all of my interactions and relationships were always welcomed and consensual.”