lawsuits

Ricky Martin Is Suing His Nephew for $20 Million

Photo: Dominique Charriau/Getty Images

Update September 11: Shortly after news broke that Ricky Martin was suing his nephew for allegedly making false claims of assault and abuse, new claims of sexual assault were filed. The Associated Press is reporting that an anonymous complaint of sexual assault is coming from Dennis Yadiel Sanchez. “[T]he complaint does not automatically trigger an arrest because the alleged incident is not recent, adding that police will investigate and determine whether charges are warranted,” they wrote. Deadline obtained a statement from Martin’s lawyers, who called the filing “wildly offensive and completely untethered from reality.”

Original story follows.

Ricky Martin is suing the nephew who accused him of domestic abuse and of having an affair with him, a claim that was later recanted. According to TMZ, Martin’s lawsuit alleges that Dennis Yadiel Sanchez sent messages to him after he withdrew his restraining order against the singer. In those messages, Sanchez allegedly threatened to “assassinate his reputation and integrity” unless Martin paid him. The suit also says that before the accusations and the restraining order, Sanchez texted Martin up to ten times a day for months and that the messages were written by a “maladjusted individual.” Martin is asking for an order for Sanchez to stop contacting him as well as $20 million in damages.

In July, news broke that an unknown individual had gained a temporary restraining order against Martin. That person turned out to be his nephew, who claimed the two had been in a sexual relationship for seven months, during which Sanchez was abused psychologically and physically. Martin denied the charges, and Sanchez later withdrew the claims, telling the court he had done so voluntarily.

Ricky Martin Is Suing His Nephew for $20 Million