LOS ANGELES — Latin pop diva Gloria Trevi has denied allegations of sexual assault after two women filed a lawsuit against the singer and her ex-manager and producer Sergio Andrade on Dec. 30.
Early Friday morning, the "No Querías Lastimarme" musician released a statement — both in Spanish and English — dismissing the claims on her Instagram and Twitter accounts.
"I will not remain silent while I am unfairly accused of crimes I did not commit," she wrote.
In the 30-page lawsuit reviewed Friday by the Los Angeles Times, two women identified as Jane Does allege they were 13 and 15 years old when the singer ("Defendant Doe 1") approached them and persuaded them join Andrade's ("Defendant Doe 2") training academy for the opportunity to become stars.
Though the suit does not explicitly identify Trevi or Andrade as defendants, details — such as album titles — make it clear the allegations are about the former collaborators. The suit also describes a third unnamed defendant who was a "choreographer, dancer, and assistant working for" the singer and producer.
The women claim Trevi "groomed" them for Andrade, who "pressured" and "coerced" them into sexual acts during the early '90s. The suit alleges that a "substantial part" of the alleged abuse occurred in Los Angeles County.
The lawsuit was filed shortly before the Dec. 31 deadline for California's three-year window that gave adults more time to file lawsuits over childhood sexual abuse.
"These false accusations, which were first made against me more than 25 years ago, have been tried in various courts and, in all instances, I have been completely and totally acquitted," said Trevi, who said she's a "survivor" of sexual abuse. "For these old, disproven claims to resurface now is tremendously painful for me and for all my family."
She continued: "The accusations were false when they were made and remain false today."
It's not the first time Trevi, 54, has been embroiled in sexual abuse allegations. In 2000, the singer and then-manager Andrade were arrested in Brazil on charges of rape, kidnapping and corruption of minors, a year after allegations had surfaced. The charges were dropped in 2004.
Trevi concluded her social media statements by asking her fans to "look beyond the absurd tabloid headlines to understand the facts.
"I will continue to move forward and work to get justice in this case — and I will do so knowing that the truth is on my side," she said.
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