Los Angeles Opera announced it will immediately open a “thorough and independent investigation” into allegations of sexual harassment against the opera star Placido Domingo, the company’s general director.
In a brief statement, the opera company said it has hired Debra Wong Yang from the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher to lead the investigation.
It gave no information how the investigation would be carried out and its expected duration.
The investigation into Domingo’s behaviour follows an Associated Press report last week detailing multiple accusations against the 78-year-old opera star.
Three of the nine women who accused the singer of harassment and abuse of power said the encounters took place while they worked with Domingo at the LA organization. The nine women and dozens of others interviewed said Domingo’s behaviour was an open secret in the industry and that he pursued younger women with impunity.
Yang is a former U.S. attorney and Los Angeles County Superior Court judge who is chair of her firm’s Crisis Management Practice Group, according to the firm’s website. She has been involved in several high-profile cases.
Reports of sexual harassment against one of opera’s most revered stars have brought opposing reactions from singers, and continents.
Two American institutions, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the San Francisco Opera, swiftly cancelled their upcoming concerts with him, citing their need to provide safe environments. But none of Domingo’s many upcoming performances in Europe were cancelled, as presenters there decided on a wait-and-see approach.
