Ricky Martin sues the nephew who made incest and harassment allegations against him

Ricky Martin is moving forward with a lawsuit against his 21-year-old nephew, Dennis Yadiel Sánchez Martin, after Sánchez Martin accused the singer of incest and harassment, Entertainment Weekly reports. The nephew withdrew his claims in late July. Now, Martin seeks at least $20 million in damages.

In a Wednesday filing made in San Juan, Puerto Rico, attorneys for Martin claim his nephew is a “maladjusted person” who Martin has been “persecuted, besieged, harassed, stalked and extorted by.” The suit also asserts that Martin’s nephew sought to “obtain an economic benefit” and/or “assassinate [Martin’s] reputation and integrity.”

“Ricky Martin has, of course, never been — and would never be — involved in any kind of sexual or romantic relationship with his nephew,” Martin’s attorney Marty Singer shared in an initial July statement to EW rebuking the claims. “The idea is not only untrue, it is disgusting. We all hope that this man gets the help he so urgently needs.”

Sánchez Martin first made claims anonymously against his uncle in early July—he alleged that he and the singer had been involved in a long-term sexual relationship, and he petitioned for a protective order from the court. Later that month, Sánchez Martin withdrew his claims—at the time, Mártin uploaded a video addressing the situation, and speaking directly to his nephew.

“Thank God [these] claims were proven to be false, but I’m going to tell you the truth. It has been so painful. It has been devastating for me, for my family, for my friends. I don’t wish this upon anybody,” he shared at the time. “To the person that was claiming this nonsense, 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. Now, my priority is to heal.”

This suit is one of two large-scale legal issues Martin has faced this summer—in June, he was accused of under-compensating his former manager Rebecca Drucker. Drucker alleged she’s owed millions of dollars in commissions from the singer’s various endeavors, including contracts and sponsorship deals. Within the same lawsuit, per EW, Drucker’s attorneys included a reference to the manager protecting Martín from a “potentially career-ending allegation.”