Ricky Martin is suing his nephew, who earlier this summer accused him of stalking following a sexual relationship.
The lawsuit against Dennis Yadiel Sánchez, filed on Wednesday in Puerto Rico, seeks at least $20 million U.S. for the loss of “multi-million dollar” deals as a result of his nephew’s accusations.
Sánchez, the son of Ricky’s paternal half-sister Vanessa Martín, claimed to have had a seven-month consensual relationship with the pop star and alleged that Martin stalked and harassed him when it ended. A judge issued a restraining order under Puerto Rico’s Domestic Abuse Prevention and Intervention Act.
At the time, Martin’s lawyer said the allegations were both “untrue” and “disgusting” and described Sánchez as “struggling with deep mental health challenges.” (Martin was never charged with a crime.)
In his lawsuit, Martin alleged Sánchez continued to harass him after “voluntarily withdrawing” the application for a restraining order that was “based on falsehoods” and noted that Sánchez admitted under oath at the hearing “that he had never been sexually assaulted” by his famous uncle.
Following the hearing, Martin addressed his nephew in a message he shared on social media. "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.”
But, in his lawsuit, Martin claimed he is being “persecuted, besieged, harassed, stalked and extorted by a maladjusted person, whose interest is to obtain an economic benefit or, in the alternative, will continue his eagerness to assassinate the reputation and integrity of the artist.”
The 50-year-old singer alleged that Sánchez has sent him messages via Instagram demanding money. In addition to financial compensation, he wants a court to order his nephew to “immediately refrain” from contacting him and his family.
Martin has been married to artist Jwan Yosef since 2017 and they are parents to four children.