David Daniels & Husband Scott Walters Accused Of Rape

By Francisco Salazar

Baritone Samuel Schultz has accused David Daniels and husband Scott Walters of rape, though the couple has denied allegations.

In a report by the New York Daily News, the baritone claims that the countertenor and his then-boyfriend drugged and raped him in a hotel room. According to the report, after meeting “Daniels and Walters at a closing night party on May 14, 2010, for Houston Grand Opera’s run of ‘Xerxes,’ starring Daniels, he was invited back to a corporate apartment where the couple was staying. Walters told him, Schultz says, to keep the invite a secret because the couple didn’t want to cause jealousy among those who weren’t invited.”

Schultz alleges that he woke up the next afternoon naked in a bed alone and was bleeding from the rectum. According to a statement he made in the Daily News, Daniels told him not to worry about “the BB thing, I’m totally negative.” Following the rape, Schultz was scared to speak out and was even scared to tell doctors.

As noted, Daniels and Walters have already denied the allegations and the Houston Grand Opera has put out a statement noting, “We are deeply concerned to learn this news. It is very much in opposition to the professional environment we strive to provide. We will cooperate with any law enforcement inquiries and launch our own investigation once we know the full range of the allegations.”

The report comes a month after Schultz posted a statement about the rape on Facebook. In the statement, he said, “I was raped. Pause and contemplate those three words. I certainly have as I have been living with that reality since 2010, while I was pursuing my master’s degree, when a celebrated opera singer and his boyfriend raped me.” The statement also spoke of his traumatic experience and why he decided to finally speak out. He went on to say “At the end of the day, I believe in hope and in the power of kindness and love. Our voices, our stories, our choices, and our hope create a shared strength that is more powerful than the dehumanizing tactics of those for whom the truth is inconvenient and who wish for our silence.”

Schultz is a Grammy-winning baritone who is set to perform this season at Opera Omaha and the Fort Worth Opera.

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