"Given the refusal of the Spanish Prosecutor's Office to allow me to exercise my defense in the proceedings and to provide me with formal access to the complaint, I am forced to speak out publicly." In the early hours of this Thursday, Julio Iglesias has said "enough is enough". After an intense back-and-forth of requests and denials between the singer and the National Court Prosecutor's Office, Iglesias has decided to take matters into his own hands and defend himself against the accusations of two former employees, a physiotherapist and a housekeeper, who allege sexual assaults and degrading treatment during their time working for him in his mansions.
"This is the only means that allows me to legitimately exercise my right to defense and to demonstrate the absolute falsehood of the reported facts," states Julio Iglesias, in a statement posted on his Instagram stories preceding a series of screenshots reproducing WhatsApp conversations between the accused and the accusers, both during their employment and after leaving his homes.
According to him, these pieces of evidence highlight "the inconsistency of the accusations and the media manipulation" to which, he alleges, he is being subjected. "The evidence is clear: the WhatsApp communications sent by the accusers during their time working in my house and the communications after they left, demonstrate that the information being spread lacks truthfulness," he points out.
Julio Iglesias: I believe you, my friend
Julio Iglesias will continue to sound in my living room
In an initial message dated April 20, 2021, sent by a woman named Stephany Abreu, supposedly the physiotherapist who has accused him and who, until now, was only known by her pseudonym, it reads: "Good evening, teacher, I hope you can sleep without discomfort, dream with the little angels and rest, I love you very much and if you need anything from me, I am at your complete disposal, thank you for your patience and your teachings today, every day by your side is valuable to me because I learn a little more [heart emoji] a kiss and a hug! Good night."
The same Stephany sends two more messages on May 1 and May 4 of the same year. In the first one, sent in the afternoon, the employee urges the singer to notify her when he is ready to do "the exercises." "Good morning, teacher! I hope you had a very good night, remember to put on the postural belt... A kiss... See you in a while," reads the second communication at 9:30 in the morning.
In several subsequent messages, the same employee shows her availability again: "When you need me, call me," and signs off with a "I love you very much, thank you for everything."
In another message from September 23, 2022, Stephany, who this time changes the last name saved in the singer's contacts to Low, congratulates him: "Happy birthdaaayyy Julitooo!!! Dear teacher, may God continue to fill you with good health so you can continue to enjoy this beautiful life, I send you a kiss and a hug, I LOVE YOU. I always remember you, with affection." And signs off: "Regards: Stephany Abreu, your physiotherapist forever."
And in another screenshot posted by the singer, a message signed by someone calling themselves Maria Alejandra Feliz, presumably the second accuser, says: "Just to say hello and send you a big hug." "To tell you that I love you very much and that I am at your service," she concludes. On January 2, 2023, the same woman sends a message to another person, presumably one of the heads of staff at Julio Iglesias' mansions: "I would like to wish the gentleman a happy new year, but surely he doesn't want to hear from me...".
"It is very serious that lies and misinformation are used as weapons to attack people," Julio Iglesias himself denounces in the statement accompanying the images. "Everything has a limit: it is necessary to unmask these falsehoods and tell the truth".
Julio Iglesias' posts come after the National Court Prosecutor's Office rejected for now the request of his lawyer, José Antonio Choclán, to be allowed to participate in the investigation against him, to have direct access to the content of the complaint for alleged sexual offenses being investigated in Spain. The Deputy Prosecutor of the National Court, Marta Durántez, argues that at this time, only the jurisdiction of the National Court to review acts committed abroad is being studied, so he is not currently under investigation and cannot participate in the proceedings.
Iglesias' lawyer leaves open the possibility of appealing to the Constitutional Court if the alleged defenselessness persists: "Being aware of the non-appealable nature of the Decree [of the Deputy Prosecutor denying him access to the documentation], we reserve the right to take the necessary actions to request the appropriate constitutional protection of the fundamental rights that we consider violated."
The complaint filed with the Prosecutor's Office on January 5 refers to sexual assaults, mistreatment, and systematic workplace humiliations, and the accusers have provided the court with work documents, photographs, recordings, WhatsApp messages, or call logs to support their accusations.