Is Ricky Martin “Livin’ La Vida Loca” or an abuser?

Imagine having a headline that stands out above monkeypox, the Jan. 6th trials, and President Biden testing positive for COVID. For Ricky Martin, there’s no need to imagine. The “Livin’ La Vida Loca” singer made waves due to incest allegations from his nephew.

It all started when a mystery person in Puerto Rico filed a restraining order against Martin. While media outlets were clamoring to figure out who they were, no one even knew what the order itself entailed? There was only the assumption that Martin had done something to make someone unsafe enough to take legal action.

The story has since unfolded and further details have been shared. Yet, the case is only getting weirder. It also has a sinister undertone considering the mystery person has since turned out to be Ricky Martin’s nephew. Has he truly been “Livin’ La Vida Loca”?

In the family

As with all major news stories, the details finally came out about this turbulent case. On July 3rd, Eric Martin revealed his son, Dennis Yadiel Sanchez, as the mystery accuser. The Associated Press later released details of the protective order.

In it, the twenty-one-year-old alleges he spent seven months in a romantic relationship with Ricky Martin. He further alleges that when he tried to end the relationship, the “Livin’ La Vida Loca” singer retaliated with stalking & physical assault.

These allegations are especially heinous, but the case itself is strange. It could be the result of a court system trying to protect the alleged victim as much as possible. It could also be the result of big money being moved around in Martin’s favor.

Hearsay

It’s hard to say why so many details of the case are both shared & vague. When the story initially broke, however, no one knew who filed the restraining order. Then, on July 3rd, Ricky’s brother, Eric, went live on Facebook and revealed that it was his son behind the order.

Eric didn’t have to share Sanchez’s identity and it’s kind of weird that he did. All the AP News had was details of the order and not who’d filed it. It begs the question: what did Eric stand to gain by breaking the news? Was it in the protection of his brother or his son?

If it was to protect his son, he might’ve been afraid of what could happen should Sanchez’s identity remain hidden. This implies Ricky Martin had the will & the way to make something happen without the public’s knowledge. If so, this is not the la Vida Loca that many of his fans imagine him to have been livin’.

If it was to protect his brother, Eric might’ve wanted Sanchez metaphorically executed by the court of public opinion. If so, his willingness to throw his own son under the bus is terrifyingly sad. Ricky Martin may have risen to international acclaim by singing “Livin’ La Vida Loca”, but even he isn’t worth that kind of loyalty.

So many details of this case don’t add up. Sanchez secretly filed a restraining order and didn’t ask for financial compensation. Eric revealed his son’s identity as the accuser but has shown him no public support. Ricky has claimed innocence even as the public struggles to figure out who to believe. It’s a messy situation with, seemingly, no end in sight.

Something fishy

Eric cited unmanaged mental health symptoms as the true source of Sanchez’s accusations. Ricky’s defense attorney, Marty Singer, echoed Eric’s statement by describing Sanchez as “struggling with deep mental health challenges”. It’s a defense argument that both holds merit and offensively suggests Sanchez’s accusations must come from mental instability.

This is where things start to get really odd. On July 21st, Ricky Martin made a court appearance. Earlier that morning, Sanchez withdrew his claims of incest and the case was dismissed by the court. However, that doesn’t necessarily prove the “Livin’ La Vida Loca” singer is innocent.

Even stranger, Sanchez made a point to say he made the decision with no outside pressure or influence. Strange still, he has released no official statement and has not been in any known contact with the press – which is desperate to hear his side of the story. As of now, no one knows what’ll happen next or what may yet be revealed about Ricky’s character.