Fez — Julio Iglesias, one of the best-known voices in global romantic pop and a defining figure of the so-called “Latin lover” persona, is facing significant legal trouble as two former employees have filed criminal complaints accusing the 82-year-old singer of sexual assault. 

The accusations allege incidents dating back to 2021 at his residences in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

The complaints have sent shockwaves through the music world and cast a cloud over a career that has spanned more than 50 years. For decades Iglesias’s image fused deep-voiced ballads with suave charm, a mixture that endeared him to millions of fans across continents and generations.

A career built on romance

Born on September 23, 1943, in Francoist Spain, Iglesias came from a conservative, music-averse household. As a young man he displayed promise as a goalkeeper in the Real Madrid youth system, but a debilitating injury in the early 1960s ended his athletic aspirations. During a long rehabilitation he taught himself guitar, and in 1968, while still a law student, he won the Benidorm Song Festival with “La vida sigue igual,” launching a recording career.

From there, his rise was meteoric. Iglesias achieved success not only in Spain but across Europe, recording in multiple languages including French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. By the 1970s, he had become a major star in Latin America, selling hundreds of millions of albums worldwide and collaborating with internationally renowned artists such as Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, and Diana Ross. In 1985 he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Songs like “Je n’ai pas changé,” “Pauvres diables (Vous les femmes),” “Manuela,” and “Viens m’embrasser” became staples of his romantic repertoire. His on-stage presence — tailored suits, meticulously styled hair, and a confident persona — reinforced his image as the consummate charmer.

The ‘Latin lover’ myth

Iglesias long embraced his reputation as a seductive figure. In public comments over the years, he boasted of his romantic conquests, while also at times downplaying his prowess with self-deprecating remarks. He described his career as rooted in the affection of his audience, saying that love from fans was more important than financial success.

Alongside his musical accomplishments, Iglesias built a life of global mobility and luxury. With residences in Miami, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, and Andalusia, and a travel lifestyle that included private jets, he became emblematic of a high-profile, cosmopolitan celebrity. His name also surfaced in media investigations, including a 2021 mention in the Pandora Papers probe into offshore financial arrangements.

Personal life under scrutiny

Iglesias’s personal life has been complex. Married twice, he fathered eight children, including performers Enrique Iglesias and Julio Iglesias Jr. In 2019, after prolonged legal battles, a Spanish court confirmed him as the biological father of a man whose mother, a former Portuguese dancer, had claimed to have had a relationship with the singer. Reflecting on his expansive family, Julio Iglesias Jr. once remarked in an interview that he did not even know how many siblings he had.

Despite the acclaim he earned in the years after Spain’s transition away from dictatorship — becoming in many eyes a symbol of cultural renewal — Iglesias’s reputation has been largely quiet in recent years, marked more by retrospection than by active presence in mainstream media.

New accusations and public image

The current accusations by two former employees represent some of the most serious challenges Iglesias has faced publicly. Both plaintiffs allege sexual assault, asserting that the offenses occurred at the singer’s private residences in the Caribbean. 

Law enforcement and judicial authorities in the relevant jurisdictions are reportedly examining the complaints, though full details and official responses remain limited as legal processes continue.