Content warning: this article discusses allegations of sexual assault
Ricky Martin has prepared a $20 million lawsuit against his nephew who had accused him of sexual assault, following the nephew’s withdrawal of a restraining order.
The singer was accused of stalking and harassing his 21-year-old nephew over the course of a seven-month relationship which Martin rejected as being categorically false. Now, Martin is eyeing justice with him filing a lawsuit on Sept. 7 against nephew Dennis Yadiel Sanchez. Martin was cleared of a domestic violence charge by Puerto Rican courts, alongside the temporary restraining order against him.
After the hit on Martin’s reputation the allegations had, he’s looking at a $20 million pay-out from Sanchez, with Martin calling his nephew a maladjusted person. Martin believes himself to be the victim of character assassination, and in legal papers obtained by TMZ, Martin alleges he had been bombarded and harassed by Sanchez looking to extort him.
Martin’s lawsuit of $20 million is supposedly in reparations for several multi-million dollar deals he feels he’s lost as a result of the allegedly false allegations. The artist says his nephew had also leaked his private phone number online, as well as made an Instagram account for one of Martin’s children.
Had the “Livin’ la Vida Loca” been found guilty of an incestuous relationship, he would have been potentially sentenced to up to 50 years under Puerto Rican law. Thankfully for Martin, he’s been found innocent of such charges.
Alongside the suit, Martin is pushing for a restraining order against his nephew, with his family feeling unsafe. He also hopes for a complete cut of communication with him, but this will all be decided in court.