Philly Orchestra, SF Opera cancel Placido Domingo’s performances after #MeToo report

Famous tenor Placido Domingo has been disinvited from performing at the Philadelphia Orchestra opening night concert in September, just hours after AP released an explosive report accusing the singer of sexual harassment.

The orchestra justified its decision by saying that it is “committed to providing a safe, supportive, respectful and appropriate environment” for its staff, collaborating artists and its audience. The sudden move appears to be a hasty reaction to a report, in which the 78-year-old, long married, world-renowned performer was accused of sexually harassing women some 30 years ago. The Los Angeles Opera, where Domingo serves as director general, also opened a probe into what it called “concerning allegations” following the report.

San Francisco Opera also canceled Domingo’s upcoming concert on Tuesday, saying the decision was made because of the sexual harassment allegations against the Spanish tenor. “San Francisco Opera is committed to its strong anti-sexual harassment policy and requires all Company members to adhere to the highest standards of professional conduct,” the statement reads. The show on October 6 was to mark Domingo’s 50 years with the company.

A lengthy piece published by AP earlier on Tuesday details the accusations leveled against Domingo by eight singers and a dancer as well as “a half-dozen other women.” The accusers, all but one remained anonymous, claimed that back in the 1980s the opera superstar engaged in inappropriate touching, unwanted kissing and made sexually-suggestive overtures like repeatedly asking out women on dates.

Some of the women also told AP that they believe their decision to reject Domingo’s advances also “adversely impacted their careers.” Although the article does not present any concrete evidence of Domingo’s alleged misdeeds beside the accusers’ words, it still says that the singer’s inappropriate behavior has long been an “open secret” within the industry.

The tenor, who is also a prolific conductor and the director of the Los Angeles Opera, dismissed the allegations as “deeply troubling, and as presented, inaccurate.” Yet, he also offered an apology to anyone he said he might have made “feel uncomfortable.”

“People who know me or who have worked with me know that I am not someone who would intentionally harm, offend, or embarrass anyone,” he told AP, adding that the “standards by which we are — and should be — measured against today are very different than they were in the past.”

Yet, his words were apparently not particularly convincing to the Philadelphia Orchestra, which decided to promptly scrap his performance even before any of the accusations were properly examined.

In the spirit of the Me Too era many praised the move by saying it was “high time” he was held accountable and calling the accusations in the report “strong.”  Others, however, pointed to the presumption of innocence and condemned the decision as “shameful.”

Some people also called it “mob justice” led by people who are driven by “hate and envy masquerading as virtue.” Domingo appears to be the latest high-profile public figure to become embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal after similar accusations were leveled against actors, athletes and politicians in the US and beyond in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

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