Women File Criminal Complaints Against Julio Iglesias Over Alleged Sexual Abuse Linked to His Caribbean Properties

Julio Iglesias employed a rotating staff of domestic workers and specialized professionals across his properties in the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, and Spain, according to a three year investigation published this week by elDiario.es in collaboration with Univision Noticias. The reporting places sustained attention on working conditions inside those homes through accounts from former employees who describe sexual abuse, coercion, intimidation, professional retaliation, and a structure of control that shaped daily life while remaining hidden behind guarded entrances and strict internal rules.

Two former workers, a housekeeper and a physiotherapist, accuse the singer of sexual assaults that they say occurred in 2021 while they were employed at his residences in Punta Cana and Lyford Cay. One of the women was 22 years old at the time. Both describe unwanted touching, insults, humiliation, constant surveillance during work hours, and fear of consequences tied to immigration status, housing, and employment.

The investigation draws on interviews conducted over three years with 15 former employees and contracted professionals who worked for Iglesias between 1990 and 2023 across his Caribbean properties and his home in Spain. Several additional former workers and visitors interviewed by the outlet describe similar internal arrangements built around rigid hierarchy and restricted movement.

Accounts From Inside the Residences of Julio Iglesias

One of the women told reporters that she was repeatedly summoned to Iglesias’s bedroom after her shifts ended and pressured into sexual encounters that involved physical violence and verbal degradation. At the time, he was 77 years old. She said these encounters occurred frequently, sometimes on consecutive nights, and left her feeling reduced to an object whose presence existed solely for his use.

She also described a profound loss of personal agency, saying the experience erased her sense of dignity and autonomy and made her feel trapped inside a role she never consented to occupy.

According to her account, another employee who held authority over her was often present or involved, reinforcing the imbalance of power and creating a situation where refusal felt impossible without risking her job, her housing, or her ability to remain in the country.

According to the investigation, the alleged assaults took place in Punta Cana and Lyford Cay with the knowledge of women responsible for managing the household and overseeing hiring. Both accusers were interviewed repeatedly over the course of more than a year, according to the publication, which states that their testimonies remained consistent and were supported by documentary evidence including photographs, call logs, WhatsApp messages, visas, medical records, and employment documents.

Six other former employees or visitors described a clear division inside the homes between domestic staff, specialized workers such as physiotherapists, companions or guests, and a small group of female managers who controlled daily operations and relayed orders from the singer. Several said those managers instructed domestic workers to go to Iglesias’s bedroom when summoned.

One former employee described the Punta Cana residence as a place defined by fear, emotional pressure, and constant distress, recalling it as an environment she associated with harm rather than safety or stability.

Criminal Complaints Before Spanish Prosecutors

Both women have filed formal complaints with Spain’s National Court prosecutor’s office. Prosecutors have opened preliminary proceedings that remain confidential, according to sources cited by EFE.

The complaint submitted on January 5 refers to events in 2021 that could constitute human trafficking for the purpose of forced labor and servitude, along with sexual harassment, sexual assault, physical injuries, and violations of workers’ rights due to abusive labor conditions.

Under Spanish law, courts may investigate crimes committed outside the country when the accused holds Spanish nationality or later acquires it. That framework assigns jurisdiction to the National Court for crimes committed abroad when prosecution corresponds to Spanish tribunals under domestic law or international treaties.

After the allegations became public, the Spanish government called for the investigation to proceed fully so that no space for impunity remains.

The villas in Punta Cana and Lyford Cay remain private, guarded, and largely inaccessible to public view. The women who worked there describe places where employment depended on obedience, authority operated through intermediaries, and personal boundaries disappeared behind locked doors and tightly controlled schedules. Their testimonies now form part of court files and investigative records, shifting experiences once confined to private residences into the formal terrain of criminal inquiry.