Judge narrows Russian soprano star’s lawsuit against Met Opera

Anna Netrebko’s lawsuit against the Metropolitan Opera has been limited to claims of gender discrimination by a federal judge, who has agreed to dismiss the star soprano’s claims of defamation, breach of contract and national origin discrimination.

U.S. District Judge Analisa Nadine Torres in Manhattan issued a 23-page decision Thursday in the lawsuit filed by Netrebko on Aug. 4 of last year.

The Met dropped the Russian soprano from future engagements shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Met director general Peter Gelb asked her to repudiate Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“It is normal for a court to narrow the issues during litigation, but this court recognizes that the alleged facts show that the Met wronged Anna Netrebko and that there is still an important case before it,” said Netrebko’s manager, Miguel Esteban. in a statement. “Anna Netrebko remains fully committed to pursuing this complaint, vindicating her rights, restoring her reputation, and proving that the Metropolitan Opera and Peter Gelb treated her unlawfully.”

The case has not yet been scheduled for trial.

“We are pleased to see that three of the four claims have been dismissed in their entirety and we strongly believe that the fourth claim will also be found to lack merit should it go to trial,” the Met said in a statement .

The American Guild of Musical Artists filed a complaint on Netrebko’s behalf, and arbitrator Howard C. Edelman ruled in February 2023 that the Met violated the union’s collective bargaining agreement when it canceled Netrebko’s contracts for three productions. Edelman awarded the union compensation calculated at $209,103.48.

Netrebko’s lawsuit alleged breach of additional agreements for 40 shows. Torres ruled against the singer, saying those commitments were never finalized in the contracts.

Agreeing to dismiss the defamation claim, Torres wrote, “Netrebko fails to allege any facts showing that her statements disassociating herself from Putin’s war against Ukraine altered the Met’s subjective belief that she supported the Russian leader.” The judge also wrote that Met’s firing “does not sufficiently implicate her national origin to permit an inference of discrimination.”

On the gender discrimination issue, Torres allowed Netrebko to proceed with claims under the New York State Human Rights Act and the New York Human Rights Act that her male counterparts who she alleges had ties to Putin and the government Russian were treated more favorably by the Met. She cited bass baritone Evgeny Nikitin and baritones Igor Golovatenko and Alexey Markov, who went on to perform at the Met.

Torres wrote that the claims were plausible and denied the Met’s motion to dismiss.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

TOPICS
Processes Legislation Russia