An attorney for Ricky Martin has denied domestic violence allegations leveled by his 21-year-old nephew.
In a statement provided to Variety on Friday, Martin’s lawyer, Marty Singer, insisted that the performer has “never been — and would never be — involved in any kind of sexual or romantic relationship with his nephew.”
Singer’s statement comes less than a month after the “Livin’ la Vida Loca” hitmaker refuted “completely false allegations” related to a restraining order filed against him in Puerto Rico. Spanish news outlet Marca later reported that the Grammy winner’s brother, Eric Martin, identified the petitioner as Martin’s nephew.
Martin’s nephew has not made any public statements about the restraining order.
“Unfortunately, the person who made this claim is struggling with deep mental health challenges,” Singer continued in his statement.
“The idea is not only untrue, it is disgusting. 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.”
Earlier this month, a Puerto Rican judge approved a restraining order prohibiting the musician and actor from contacting the person who filed it. The petitioner, who was unnamed at the time, reportedly dated Martin for seven months before filing the complaint under Puerto Rico’s domestic violence law.
The order accused the “American Crime Story” star of refusing to move on from his alleged relationship with the petitioner and repeatedly loitering near the petitioner’s home after they broke things off, according to Puerto Rican newspaper El Vocero. The complaint claimed that “the petitioner fears for his safety.”
“The protection order entered against me is based on completely false allegations, so I will respond through the judicial process with the facts and the dignity that characterize me,” Martin said in a statement released on July 3.
“Because it is an ongoing legal matter, I cannot make detailed statements at this time. I am grateful for the countless messages of solidarity, and I receive them with all my heart.”
A judge will decide at a forthcoming hearing whether to lift or uphold the order filed against Martin, who has been married to conceptual artist Jwan Yosef since 2017. According to TMZ, Martin is due in court July 21.
