Domingo withdraws from New York Met after #MeToo allegations

The Metropolitan Opera in New York announced on Tuesday that opera star Placido Domingo would withdraw from scheduled performances following allegations of sexual harassment.

The 78-year-old was accused in August of sexual harassing multiple women, with more revelations coming out this month. The allegations were leveled as part of the #MeToo movement.

Read more: More women accuse opera star Placido Domingo of sexual harassment

"While I strongly dispute recent allegations made about me, and I am concerned about the climate in which people are condemned without due process, upon reflection I believe that my appearance in this production of ‘Macbeth' would distract from the hard work of my colleagues both on stage and behind the scenes,” said the Spanish opera singer in a statement.

"As a result, I have asked to withdraw,” he concluded. He strongly indicated that he would never again perform on the Met stage.

Domingo was scheduled to sing the title role in the season premiere of Verdi's Macbeth on Wednesday night. It would have been his first performance in the United States since AP news agency reported on accusations of inappropriate behavior.

'We accomplished something'

One accuser said she was "relieved” by the Met's action, but criticized the opera house's general manager Peter Gelb for previously asserting that the opera house could not act without more evidence.

Another accuser also welcomed the news from the Met, saying, "I feel like we accomplished something. The Met finally stepped up and did the right thing.”

Domingo had already been forced to cancel performances in the US, but had continued with planned tours in Europe. At the end of August, weeks after the initial accusations, he received standing ovations in Salzburg, Austria.

The veteran singer had been a performer at the Met for over 50 years.

ed/als (AP, dpa)