Ricky Martin is speaking out about the “painful” and “devastating” accusations made against him by his nephew, hours after the judge dismissed his case.
In a video posted online, the 50-year-old singer says he had resisted speaking out about the allegations of sexual abuse because he had to wait until he had his time in court.
Following the accuser’s request to have the entire case dropped on Thursday, a Puerto Rico judge dismissed the restraining order against Martin.
“I’m in front of the cameras today because I really need to talk in order for me to start my healing process,” Martin said in the video. “For two weeks, I was not allowed to defend myself because I was following a procedure where the law obligated me not to talk until I was in front of a judge.”
He continued: “Thank God [these] claims were proven to be false, but I’m going to tell you the truth. It has been so painful. It has been devastating for me, my family, for my friends. I don’t wish this upon anybody.”
Although Martin did not name his accuser, the Spanish media site Marca had previously stated that it was the son of his half-brother, Eric Martin. Martin has consistently rejected the accusations made against him since they first surfaced earlier this month.
“To the person that was claiming this nonsense, I wish him the best. And I wish he finds the help so he can start a new life filled with love and truth and joy and he doesn’t hurt anybody else,” Martin said in the video. “Now, my priority is to heal. And how do I heal? With music. I cannot wait to be back on stage. I cannot wait to be back in front of the cameras and entertain, which is what I do best.”
He concluded: “Thank you to all of my friends. Thank you to all the fans who always believed in me. You have no idea the strength that you gave me with every comment you wrote on social media. I wish you love and light, and here we come, with the same strength and passion. God bless you all.”
On Thursday, the “Livin’ La Vida Loca” singer prevailed when his accuser requested that the lawsuit be dropped.
“Just as we had anticipated, the temporary protection order was not extended by the Court. 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,” Martin’s attorneys said in a statement. “The request came from the accuser asking to dismiss the case.”
The statement continued: “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.”
