Singer Andrea Bocelli: 'Absurd' to shun opera legend Domingo

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli is staunchly defending opera legend Placido Domingo, calling it "absurd" that opera houses have canceled the star's performances over sexual harassment allegations before they are fully investigated.

"I am still appalled at what happened to this incredible artist," Bocelli said. "I don't understand this. Tomorrow a lady can just come up and say Andrea Bocelli molested me 10 years ago, and from that day on, no one wants to sing with me anymore; the opera houses won't call me anymore. This is absurd."

Bocelli spoke to The Associated Press through an Italian translator during an interview at his Miami-area home. Bocelli, one of the world's most famous classical singers, is preparing for a U.S. tour that begins next month in San Francisco and closes with two nights at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

This Nov. 8, 2019 photo shows Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli during an interview at his home in North Miami, Fla. Bocelli is defending opera legend Placido Domingo and calling it “absurd” that opera houses have canceled the star’s performances before sexual harassment allegations against him are fully investigated. Three U.S. music companies canceled Domingo appearances following allegations of sexual harassment made by multiple women earlier this year. (AP PhotoEllis Rua)

Three U.S. music companies canceled Domingo appearances following allegations of sexual harassment made by multiple women in twoAP stories earlier this year and he withdrew from a slate of performances at New York's Metropolitan Opera.

The AP spoke to more than 20 women, many of whom said Domingo tried to pressure them into sexual relationships and sometimes punished them professionally if they rejected him. One soprano said he grabbed her bare breast under her robe.

Domingo has disputed the allegations, calling them "in many ways, simply incorrect."

This Nov. 8, 2019 photo shows Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli with his dog Katarina during an interview at his home in North Miami, Fla. Bocelli is defending opera legend Placido Domingo and calling it “absurd” that opera houses have canceled the star’s performances before sexual harassment allegations against him are fully investigated. Three U.S. music companies canceled Domingo appearances following allegations of sexual harassment made by multiple women earlier this year. (AP PhotoEllis Rua)

Bocelli is the most prominent artist to speak out on the Spanish opera star's behalf, taking issue with the "call-out culture" and arguing that people should differentiate between public figures' morality and their artistry and skills.

If criminal accusations are brought forward, Bocelli said, people should not make a judgment until the accused person is convicted and sentenced.

"Whenever that happens, then the moral judgment against this person would of course change on my end, but not the artistic judgment, because they are two different things," he said.

FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2019, file photo, Opera star Placido Domingo performs during a concert in Szeged, Hungary. Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli is staunchly defending Domingo, calling it “absurd” that opera houses have canceled the star’s performances over sexual harassment allegations that haven’t been fully investigated. Three U.S. music companies canceled Domingo appearances following allegations of sexual harassment made by multiple women earlier this year. (AP PhotoLaszlo Balogh, File)

"There have been in the past many artists who have dubious morality," Bocelli said, adding that there are two aspects to judging an artist. "One is the moral one, which must be dealt with in courts and here on Earth and by our good Lord up in the skies. Then there is an artistic judgment, which is subjective, and up to each one of us."

Domingo has continued to perform in Europe. On Friday, the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee said Domingo decided not to perform at a pre-Olympics event, citing the "complexity of the project."

He has resigned as general director for the Los Angeles Opera, where an internal investigation into the allegations against him is ongoing.

Bocelli and Domingo are credited with injecting new energy into opera during times when its popularity had dwindled.

Bocelli, especially, has overlapped with pop music genres and is widely known for the iconic "Time to Say Goodbye," which has been used in several sporting events and Hollywood films. The blind singer has partnered with pop sensations such as Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande and Jennifer Lopez.

Bocelli sat down for an interview with the AP to speak about his new collaborations with "13 Going on 30" actress Jennifer Garner and pop singer Ellie Goulding. The tracks are part of a special edition of his album "Si," which launched last week.

He said opera is alive but needs to shift back to a form of entertainment for everyone, and not just affluent spectators.

"We could do a lot more so that it could go back to the origins, go back to being popular for a wider audience," he said. "Today, it risks being an elite phenomenon, and this is a pity because opera was born for the people."

TOKYO (AP) — The American envoy to the United Nations called Friday for countries armed with atomic weapons to pursue nuclear disarmament as she visited the atomic bomb museum in Nagasaki, Japan.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who became the first U.S. cabinet member to visit Nagasaki, stressed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy amid a growing nuclear threat in the region.

“We must continue to work together to create an environment for nuclear disarmament. We must continue to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons in every corner of the world,” she said after a tour of the atomic bomb museum.

“For those of us who already have those weapons, we must pursue arms control. We can and must work to ensure that Nagasaki is the last place to ever experience the horror of nuclear weapons,” she added, standing in front of colorful hanging origami cranes, a symbol of peace.

The United States dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, destroying the city and killing 140,000 people. A second attack three days later on Nagasaki killed 70,000 more people. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, ending World War II and its nearly half-century of aggression in Asia.

Nagasaki Gov. Kengo Oishi said in a statement that he believed Thomas-Greenfield's visit and her first-person experience at the museum “will be a strong message in promoting momentum of nuclear disarmament for the international society at a time the world faces a severe environment surrounding atomic weapons.”

Oishi said he conveyed to the ambassador the increasingly important role of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in emphasizing the need of nuclear disarmament.

Thomas-Greenfield's visit to Japan comes on the heels of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's official visit to the United States last week and is aimed at deepening Washington's trilateral ties with Tokyo and Seoul. During her visit to South Korea earlier this week, she held talks with South Korean officials, met with defectors from North Korea and visited the demilitarized zone.

The ambassador said the United States is looking into setting up a new mechanism for monitoring North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Russia and China have thwarted U.S.-led efforts to step up U.N. sanctions on North Korea over its ballistic missile testing since 2022, underscoring a deepening divide between permanent Security Council members over Russia’s war on Ukraine.

She said it would be “optimal” to launch the new system next month, though it is uncertain if that is possible.

The U.N. Security Council established a committee to monitor sanctions, and the mandate for its panel of experts to investigate violations had been renewed for 14 years until last month, when Russia vetoed another renewal.

In its most recent report, the panel of experts said it is investigating 58 suspected North Korean cyberattacks between 2017 and 2023 valued at approximately $3 billion, with the money reportedly being used to help fund its weapons development.

The United States, Japan and South Korea have been deepening security ties amid growing tension in the region from North Korea and China.

U.S. Ambassador to United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, left, and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, shake hands during a meeting Friday, April 19, 2024, at prime minister's office in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool)

U.S. Ambassador to United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, left, and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, shake hands during a meeting Friday, April 19, 2024, at prime minister's office in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool)

U.S. Ambassador to United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, right, speaks to Rahm Emanuel, U.S. Ambassador to Japan, second right, as they wait for a meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Friday, April 19, 2024, at prime minister's office in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool)

U.S. Ambassador to United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, left, and Rahm Emanuel, U.S. Ambassador to Japan, right, walk to meet Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Friday, April 19, 2024, at prime minister's office in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool)

U.S. Ambassador to United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, left, and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, talk prior to a meeting Friday, April 19, 2024, at prime minister's office in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool)

U.S. Ambassador to United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, left, and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, prepare to talk during a meeting Friday, April 19, 2024, at prime minister's office in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool)