Ricky Martin’s nephew has withdrawn his claims of harassment and of having an affair with the singer in a court appearance in Puerto Rico on Thursday. The withdrawal effectively ends the case.
Martin, whom had previously denied the accusations and appeared in court virtually Thursday, issued a statement through his attorneys saying that it was a case of a “troubled individual making false allegations with absolutely nothing to substantiate them.”
“Just as we had anticipated, the temporary protection order was not extended by the Court,” attorneys Joaquín Monserrate Matienzo, Carmelo Dávila and Harry Massanet Pastrana said in a statement. “The accuser confirmed to the court that his decision to dismiss the matter was his alone, without any outside influence or pressure, and the accuser confirmed he was satisfied with his legal representation in the matter. The request came from the accuser asking to dismiss the case. This was never anything more than a troubled individual making false allegations with absolutely nothing to substantiate them. We are glad that our client saw justice done and can now move forward with his life and his career.”
Martin, 50, was hit with a restraining order in Puerto Rico on July 2; the reason for the restraining order was not made public at the time and the person who requested it remained anonymous.
But Pureto Rico newspaper Marca reported that the restraining order was filed by Martin’s 21-year-old nephew, who claimed the two had a sexual relationship lasting 7 months and that after it ended, Martin stalked him. According to Marca, Martin’s nephew also claims Martin was physically and psychologically abusive.
His attorney Marty Singer previously said of the accusations that, “Unfortunately, the person who made this claim is struggling with deep mental health challenges.”
“Ricky Martin has, of course, never been – and would never be – involved in any kind of sexual or romantic relationship with his nephew,” the prior statement continued. “The idea is not only untrue, it is disgusting. We all hope that this man gets the help he so urgently needs.”
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
