Ricky Martin is apparently suing his nephew, Dennis Yadiel Sanchez, for $20 million (about R346 million) over the 21-year-allegations old’s of sexual assault.
According to documents obtained by the New York Post and published by the website on Wednesday, Martin filed a lawsuit against Yadiel Sanchez, alleging that Sanchez was seeking to “assassinate” the performer’s reputation.
The 50-year-old “Livin’ la Vida Loca” singer filed the claim in San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to TMZ, which was the first to disclose the suit.
A month after Yadiel Sanchez withdrew his restraining order against the pop star, Martin alleged that his nephew began sending him threatening Instagram posts, threatening to “assassinate his character and integrity” if he did not pay up.
Martin claims in his lawsuit that his nephew, a “maladjusted individual,” boasted about being his nephew and sent him up to ten messages per day for four months.
The musician claims he put his phone number online and created an Instagram account for one of his children, causing the father of four to be terrified.
According to the lawsuit, Martin claims he has missed out on potential business prospects and is seeking $20 million in damages.
The singer, who has children Valentino, 14, Matteo, 14, Lucia, 3, and Renn, 3, with his husband Jwan Yosef, claims he and his family feel “unsafe” in Puerto Rico owing to his nephew’s alleged behavior.
Page Six reported that a Martin official did not immediately respond to its request for comment on the filing.
In a video aired in July, Martin explained why he had not addressed the allegations of incestuous relations when they initially surfaced, despite his team’s vigorous denial of the “false and contrived” allegations at the time.
The singer stated, “For two weeks, I was unable to defend myself because I was adhering to the law’s procedure, which required me to remain silent until I was in front of the judge.
“Thank God, these allegations were disproven, but I’m going to tell you the truth: it has been so difficult and devastating for me, my family, and my friends,” he stated. I would not want this on anyone.
Yadiel Sanchez, the son of Vanessa Martin, the half-sister of Ricky, had previously claimed that he and his uncle were in a seven-month relationship and that Martin had stalked him at his residence after they broke up two months ago.