Ricky Martin has been accused of incest by his 21-year-old nephew and could face prison for 50 years if proven guilty, according to reports. However, the singer's attorney has denied all allegations including domestic violence filed by his nephew. His lawyer said, Martin never had "any kind of sexual or romantic relationship with his nephew."
It was made public two weeks ago that the Latin pop icon had been the subject of a "domestic violence-related" restraining order granted by a judge in Puerto Rico. The identity of the accused victim was not made public at that time. However, Martin's brother, Eric Martin, reportedly claimed that the victim is Dennis Yadiel Sanchez, the singer's nephew, as reported by the Spanish daily Marca.
Martin in Trouble
Sanchez recently identified Martin, his uncle, as his alleged assailant. Martin previously told People in a statement that the allegations of abuse were "completely false and fabricated."
According to the restraining order, Martin and the person who filed the complaint dated for seven months, according to El Vocero, a newspaper in Puerto Rico. According to the report, the alleged victim claimed that Martin didn't handle their breakup well and had at least three instances of roaming close to the petitioner's house.
He also alleged that Martin had been "consuming large amounts of alcohol and drugs."
If the horrific allegations are accurate, Martin could be sentenced to fifty years in prison under Puerto Rico's "incest charges" statutes. According to the publication, the complaint was lodged under Law 54, often known as the Domestic Abuse Prevention and Intervention Act, in an anonymous manner.
The celebrity, who was sighted in Los Angeles on Friday while filming his newest AppleTV+ miniseries, is scheduled to go on trial in Puerto Rico on July 21 where his face is going to be decided.
What's the Truth?
However, Martin's attorneys have refuted the claims and are putting together a case for Sanchez, who was reportedly recently accused of harassing a lady and "threatened to destroy her life."
"Unfortunately, the person who made this claim is struggling with deep mental health challenges. 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, Martin's attorney said.
"Ricky Martin has, of course, never been - and would never be - involved in any kind of sexual or romantic relationship with his nephew. The idea is not only untrue, it is disgusting," he continued.
"We all hope that this man gets the help he so urgently needs. But, most of all, we look forward to this awful case being dismissed as soon as a judge gets to look at the facts."
As Martin, a Grammy winner and the star of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, battles an explosive $3 million lawsuit from his on-again, off-again manager Rebecca Drucker over unpaid commissions, these most recent claims from the unincorporated U.S. territory and the lawyer's response surface.
Drucker and her Venable LLP team additionally allege that the plaintiff saved the supposedly substance-abusing "Livin' la Vida Loca" singer from a "potentially career-ending allegation in September 2020."
The singer's camp called the allegations of domestic abuse "completely false and fabricated" after the successful motion for a TRO against CAA-repped Martin was allowed by a Puerto Rican judge earlier this month.
A representative for Martin told The New York Post at the time, "The allegations against Ricky Martin that led to a protection order are completely false and fabricated. We are very confident that when the true facts come out in this matter our client Ricky Martin will be fully vindicated."
