MADRID, Spain — Spanish music icon Julio Iglesias has filed a formal lawsuit in the Supreme Court against Second Vice President and Minister of Labor Yolanda Díaz, seeking 50,000 euros in damages for alleged defamation. The legal action follows public accusations made by the government official claiming the singer was involved in labor exploitation and the sexual abuse of two former employees.
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According to legal documents accessed by public broadcasters, Iglesias’s defense team is demanding that Díaz publicly acknowledge that her statements constitute an illegitimate interference with the singer’s fundamental right to honor. The lawsuit also demands a formal public retraction of her claims, compensation for moral damages, and coverage of all legal costs associated with the proceedings.
The escalation to the Supreme Court comes after a mandatory conciliation hearing held in May 2026 failed to resolve the dispute. During that session, Díaz reportedly refused to retract her previous statements, prompting Iglesias’s legal team to pursue formal litigation. The conflict originally gained national prominence in January 2026, when the Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation to clarify allegations of misconduct raised by two former workers.
The controversy was further amplified when Díaz addressed the matter in a January interview on Spanish national television. Condemning the alleged actions, she stated that women are exhausted by systemic mistreatment. During the same period, the Vice President revealed she had held discussions with Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun regarding the potential revocation of the Fine Arts Medal previously awarded to Iglesias. At the time, Díaz maintained that initiating such a symbolic withdrawal would not violate the singer’s constitutional right to the presumption of innocence.
Julio Iglesias demanda a Yolanda Díaz por intromisión al honor y le reclama 50.000 euros https://t.co/qXVESLSz0d
— Público (@publico_es) July 22, 2026
In a parallel legal maneuver, Iglesias’s defense has also filed a criminal complaint for slander, libel, and crimes against moral integrity against several journalists from the digital newspaper elDiario.es. The singer’s legal representatives argue that the outlet’s coverage of the allegations contained false and injurious commentary that further damaged his reputation.
This latest legal battle follows a complex procedural history for the singer. The National Court had previously opened a preliminary investigation into the allegations against Iglesias; however, his defense successfully appealed the decision, resulting in the case being declared null and void by the higher courts.
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As the Supreme Court reviews the new defamation claim, the case continues to draw significant attention, highlighting the intense legal and political friction surrounding high-profile allegations of workplace misconduct.
