Photo Credit: Steve Granitz / CC by 2.0
Earlier this month, Ricky Martin was slapped with a restraining order in his native Puerto Rico after facing domestic violence and harassment allegations from his 21-year-old nephew. Now, the order – and the overarching complaint – has been dropped.
Local outlets including San Juan’s El Vocero shed light upon the shocking claims against Ricky Martin, who was said to have engaged in a seven-month-long sexual relationship with his nephew, according to the latter party’s filing.
But Ricky Martin allegedly refused to accept the incestuous relationship’s end (which is said to have arrived about two months ago) and was allegedly caught “prowling” around the home of the filing individual, who told the court that he “fears for his safety.”
Besides approving the temporary restraining order against Martin – who promptly pushed back against the claims, denying having had a sexual or a romantic relationship with the accuser – the presiding judge set a hearing for today, July 21st.
Puerto Rican newspapers including the aforementioned El Vocero quickly reported that this hearing had brought about the initially disclosed dismissal. And on cue, Ricky Martin’s legal team touted the result via a social media post, publishing an in-depth message in Spanish as well as a comparatively concise English statement for good measure.
“Just as we had anticipated, the temporary protection order was not extended by the Court,” read the English-language comments from Ricky Martin’s attorneys. “The accuser confirmed to the court that his decision to dismiss the matter was his alone, without any outside influence or pressure, and the accuser confirmed he was satisfied with his legal representation in the matter.
“The request came from the accuser asking to dismiss the case. This was never anything more than a troubled individual making false allegations with absolutely nothing to substantiate them. We are glad that our client saw justice done and can now move forward with his life and his career,” the statement concludes.
The optimistic response overlooks Martin’s other legal troubles, however, referring specifically to a multimillion-dollar lawsuit from his former manager.
One Rebecca Drucker, who formally began serving as Martin’s manager in 2014, submitted the stunning suit shortly before the “Vente Pa’ Ca” singer’s nephew entered the media spotlight.
Alleged “toxicity” in the professional arrangement between Drucker and Martin set the stage for the “ultimate betrayal” in the form of the artist’s purportedly failing to pay commissions, including almost $400,000 from Nescafe deals, $40,000 from a Smirnoff product placement, and $500,000 for a renegotiated Sony Music pact, to name some.
More broadly, the legal showdown involving Drucker and Martin represents one of several recent artist-manager battles and splits. May, for instance, saw Alan Parsons secure a nearly $5 million verdict in a case against his former live manager, while Olivia Rodrigo cut ties with her management towards the year’s start.