Ricky Martin Denies Wrongdoing in Domestic Abuse Case

A judge in Puerto Rico issued a restraining order against singer and actor Ricky Martin, police confirmed to the Associated Press on Saturday. However, authorities who went to his home in the upscale neighborhood of Dorado on the norther coast have yet to issue him the papers.

“Up until now,” a law enforcement spokesperson said on Saturday, “police haven’t been able to find him.”

It is unclear who has requested the order, but the AP quotes a Puerto Rican news outlet, El Vocero, which stated that it is a former romantic partner. The restraining order claims that Martin has not accepted a separation from two months ago, and he has been seen loitering near the petitioner’s house at least three times. “The petitioner fears for his safety,” the outlet said, quoting the order.

Representatives for Ricky Martin spoke to PEOPLE late Saturday to deny the charges. “The allegations against Ricky Martin that lead to a protection order are completely false and fabricated,” the singer’s representatives said. “We are very confident that when the true facts come out in this matter our client Ricky Martin will be fully vindicated.”

In other Ricky Martin news, the “La Vida Loca” star and former Menudo member was hit with a $3 million lawsuit by a former manager, Rebecca Drucker, who worked with Martin from 2014 - 2018 and again from 2020 - 2022. She claims he owes unpaid commissions. 

Her suit states that she revitalized Martin's career, but he “completely and maliciously refused to pay Rebecca the millions of dollars in commissions that he owes her under their management agreement.” Additionally, the lawsuit states that Drucker “fiercely protected Martin” against a “potentially career-ending allegation” in September 2020, and that she “advised him and brought in top litigation counsel to handle the matter.” She claims that, thanks to her business savvy, Martin “emerged unscathed and proceeded with his professional resurgence,” as per a report in the New York Post. 

In March of this year, Martin was announced as a co-star in the Apple TV+ comedy series Mrs. American Pie alongside Alison Janney, Laura Dern, Kristen Wiig, and Carol Burnett. The project, from showrunner Abe Sylvia and directed by Tate Taylor, is based on the book Mr. and Mrs. American Pie by Juliet McDaniel set in Palm Beach high society. In 2018, Martin co-starred in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, playing the role of Versace’s lover, the model and designer Antonio D’Amico.