Ricky Martin sues his nephew for extortion for unfounded accusation

By Rafy Rivera and Melissa Alonso, CNN

Attorneys for Ricky Martin on Wednesday filed a civil lawsuit in a San Juan, Puerto Rico court against his nephew Dennis Yadiel Sánchez, alleging extortion, malicious persecution, abuse of rights, and damages.

Martin’s lawsuit follows a July legal battle in which a judge in San Juan issued a protection order in favor of the entertainer’s nephew after he denounced him for harassment, a claim Martin has refuted and rejected.

During a hearing on July 21, a judge decided not to extend the temporary protection order against Martin, because his nephew asked to dismiss the case. After the hearing, the Puerto Rico Police said that the protection order issued against Martin would be archived since there was nothing criminal pending, CNN has reported.

In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, Martin requested financial compensation for a total of at least $30 million, alleging that Sánchez’s actions caused “million-dollar contracts and present and future artistic projects” to be canceled.

“The financial damages caused as a result of these actions are quantified in a sum of no less than US$10 million,” it states. The court document further states that the situation has caused “damage to the reputation of the plaintiff, who, until the Protection Order became public knowledge, enjoyed an impeccable reputation earned through his long artistic and altruistic career for the last almost 40 years of his life.”

CNN has made multiple attempts to reach Sánchez’s legal representation for comment.

These reputational damages are quantified “in a sum of not less than US $20 million,” the lawsuit states. Martin is seeking the claimed damages, interest, costs and attorney’s fees.

The-CNN-Wire
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