Abuse allegations.
Pressure to reveal his sexuality, and prejudice after he did.
A contentious legal battle with a former manager.
Keep watching for some of the hardships singer Ricky Martin has had throughout his life.
Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, of which Martin was a member, was carefully manufactured for success.
The group's management team imposed strict rules on the members, such as age limits.
According to The Chicago Tribune, members were required to be between 12 and 15 years old.
This particular rule meant the roster was in a state of flux, and over the years the
band has had nearly 40 different members.
It turns out that horrific things went on behind the scenes involving the band's young lineup.
These shocking details came to light in the 2022 HBO docuseries "Menudo: Forever Young."
Former manager Edgardo Díaz was allegedly at fault for much of the abuse the band's
members endured, and he required the boys' parents to sign over their parental rights.
Díaz has denied the allegations.
In the series, former group member Angelo Garcia explained that he was sexually assaulted
by someone associated with Menudo's team.
Former members Andy Blázquez and Jonathan Montenegro recalled equally disturbing details
about being assaulted by members of the band's production team.
For his part, Martin did not participate in the docuseries and hasn't commented on his
former bandmates' allegations.
It was announced in July 2022 that Menudo is making a comeback.
According to Variety, Mario Lopez is hosting the talent search for new members.
Ricky Martin's journey to self-acceptance wasn't an easy ride.
The Puerto Rico native opened up about navigating the entertainment industry as a gay Latin
pop artist in his memoir, "Me," and in numerous interviews.
In a 2021 People cover story, the singer went into detail about exploring his sexuality,
calling it "complicated."
"When I was dating women, I was in love with women.
And I love women."
In a 2011 interview with The Guardian, Martin revealed that he was often pressured by those
around him to reveal more than he was comfortable with, saying,
"I hated it when people tried to force me out when I wasn't ready.
It was very painful, and it actually pushed me away from doing so."
The star also explained that he feared how the public might react to him coming out.
Despite pressure from those around him, Martin announced his sexuality on his own terms in 2010.
He posted a message on his website that said, in part,
"I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man.
I am very blessed to be who I am."
A 2000 interview with Barbara Walters put pressure on Martin to open up about his sexuality
before he was ready.
Martin has since spoken about how traumatizing the sit-down was, but it was obvious even
at that moment that he was uncomfortable with Walters' questions.
Martin was hesitant to respond after Walters stated that Martin could "stop the rumors"
about his sexuality.
"You could say, as many artists have, 'Yes I am gay,' or you could say, 'No I'm not.'"
Martin eventually admitted he was simply not up to answering the question.
The singer told People he still finds the conversation unsettling decades later.
"I even felt a bit violated because I was just not ready to come out."
The singer went on to share that he's considered what he would do if given an opportunity to
redo that moment.
He said perhaps he would have come out during that interview since it felt so good when
he finally did.
A decade after conducting the interview, Walters told the Toronto Star that she wishes she
could take the question back, acknowledging that it was out of line.
Ricky Martin fans might recall his collaboration with musician Jenni Rivera.
The talented duo teamed up to release the song "The Best Thing About Me Is You" in 2010.
Sadly, Rivera died two years after that collaboration, in a plane crash in 2012.
According to USA Today, the musician's plane plummeted 28,000 feet, and she was among seven
people who died in the crash.
Martin and a number of other celebrities close to Rivera released touching statements following her death.
Martin tweeted out a statement that suggested he was hit hard by the tragedy.
He wrote,
"This is sad.
In a bit of shock.
Much peace to her family."
According to CNN, Mexico's aviation investigation agency revealed that negligence contributed
to the incident, concluding that the plane's 78-year-old pilot could not safely perform his duties.
Additionally, the Learjet was flying unevenly.
As a result, the family members of those who died in the crash were awarded $70 million
in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Like many people, Ricky Martin had a hard time coping with the harsh realities of living
through the coronavirus pandemic.
During an interview with Oprah Daily, the musician revealed that his EP "Pausa" helped
him overcome his pandemic-induced mental health struggles.
Martin said,
"I was really anxious, the level of anxiety that I was dealing with was completely unrecognizable.
I needed to write about this [for my album] and I needed to share it with my audience
and my social media.
And a lot of people are saying 'Thank you Rick, I'm not the only one.'"
The father of four went on to explain that it was important for him to prioritize his
mental health so that he could teach his children about the importance of processing their emotions.
"You know, the way things were are no more.
So obviously that activated what I now call anxiety."
In addition to impacting his mental health, COVID-19 prevented the singer from seeing
his father, Enrique Martin, for some time.
As the AP reported, in 2016, Ricky's father was hospitalized for an undisclosed illness.
Given Enrique's health history and potential vulnerability to the virus, Ricky waited a
while to visit.
In November 2020, the singer spoke to Access Daily about finally reuniting with Enrique.
Martin told the outlet,
"I haven't seen my father since everything started and unfortunately he was a little
bit sick, but now I'm going to Puerto Rico and everything's gonna be fine."
Since coming out, Ricky Martin has publicly displayed his love for his husband, Jwan Yosef,
throughout their relationship.
In June 2021, the couple posed on the cover of CAP 74024 magazine together.
The cover, which Martin shared on his Instagram account, features the pair passionately embracing
one another.
What should have been a happy moment for the couple sadly wasn't well-received by hateful
commenters who left homophobic messages.
The hate got so bad that Martin had to issue a statement addressing the social media trolls.
He wrote on Instagram,
"A week ago, I uploaded some photos with my husband for a special edition of Cap 74024 Magazine.
It was a wonderful experience for both of us to celebrate our pride.
What I did not expect, especially after all the work that has been done for so many years,
is that a large number of people decided to stop following us or comment in a derogatory way."
The musician went on to say he empathized with those who feel lost as a result of mistreatment and prejudice.
Ricky Martin found himself in some legal trouble when ex-manager Rebecca Drucker filed a $3
million lawsuit against him in 2022.
In court documents, Drucker alleged that Martin breached his contract.
Deadline obtained Drucker's legal filings, which read, in part,
"With Rebecca at his side, Martin made millions of dollars and therefore owes Rebecca substantial commissions."
The lawsuit also alleges that Drucker had to save Martin from facing serious repercussions
after unnamed allegations of misconduct in 2020.
The details of these allegations have yet to come to light, but Drucker's complaint maintains,
"For years, she protected Martin from the consequences of his reckless indiscretions.
Rebecca did so not only because she was his manager, but also because she thought that
Martin was her dear friend."
As for how Martin and his legal team plan to proceed after being hit with this multimillion-dollar
lawsuit remains unknown, because they have yet to publicly respond.
Still, they appear to be aware of Drucker's claims, because the former manager claims
she was asked to remain silent.
The court documents allege,
"Martin has now threatened Rebecca and is attempting to force her to sign an agreement
with a nondisclosure clause to silence Rebecca about the abhorrent behavior by Martin that
she [had] both witnessed and endured."
Drucker had worked with Martin on and off since 2014, which was when Martin switched
management teams.
In July 2022, Us Weekly reported that a restraining order had been filed against Ricky Martin
under Puerto Rico's Domestic Abuse Prevention and Intervention Act.
According to early reports in Puerto Rican newspaper El Vocero, the anonymous individual
who filed the order was alleged to be romantically involved with Martin for seven months.
"Officials reportedly also clarified that the petitioner didn't initially file a police complaint."
Martin has been married to Jwan Yosef since 2017, so these allegations raised questions
about their relationship.
The singer's team has attempted to clear Martin's name in the wake of the restraining order's filing.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, his reps denied the accusations, saying,
"We are very confident that when the true facts come out in this matter, our client
Ricky Martin will be fully vindicated."
Martin took to social media to address the allegations, denying any wrongdoing.
He wrote on Twitter,
"The protection order entered against me is based on completely false allegations, so
I will respond through the judicial process with the facts and the dignity that characterizes me."
He noted that he legally could not say anything further, but did add,
"I am grateful for the countless messages of solidarity, and I receive them with all my heart."
Later that same month, however, the person who filed the order was identified as Martin's
21-year-old nephew.
The singer's lawyer told Deadline,
"Unfortunately, the person who made this claim is struggling with deep mental health challenges.
Ricky Martin has, of course, never been — and would never be — involved in any kind of
sexual or romantic relationship with his nephew."
At the time of writing, Martin's accuser has made no public comments about the allegations.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National
Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233.
You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.