Anita Rachvelishvili has sued the Metropolitan Opera in a Manhattan Federal Court.

In court documents obtained by the New York Post, the mezzo is suing the Met for firing her because she couldn’t hit her high notes. The mezzo claims that the company canceled her contracts in January 2023 due to “deterioration of vocal quality.” She was set to perform between 2022 and 2025 in productions of “Aida,” “La Gioconda,” “Carmen,” and “Don Carlo,” and the deal was worth more than $400,000.

In court documents, she said that while she was “temporarily limited in her very highest vocal range” following her pregnancy, she was “willing and able to perform the roles for which she was contracted.”

The mezzo also claimed that the Met and the union discriminated against her because she was pregnant.

In a statement, Rachvelishvili added, “I loved performing on the Met stage and looked forward to returning after the birth of my first child. I was shocked that I was not given a chance to recover and all of my contracts for the next two years were immediately canceled without pay.”

She added, “After supporting the Met throughout the pandemic, I am disappointed, to say the least, at this harmful treatment.”

According to the New York Post, “the Metropolitan Opera initially agreed to buy out Rachvelishvili’s contract, but ultimately refused to pay the $400,000.”

The mezzo also noted that she turned to the union, but the American Guild of Musical Artists allegedly declined to file a grievance for the mezzo.

Rachvelishvili’s vocal struggles were well-documented on social media and in an article by the New York Times, where she spoke of her issues and in which Metropolitan Opera General Manager Peter Gelb admitted to removing her following a performance of “Aida” in December of 2022. He said, “It was obvious that she was not the same singer — at least temporarily not the same singer — who had conquered our stage so brilliantly up to that point.” He added that due to the performance he had decided to remove her from the new “Carmen” production she was set to headline for New Year’s Eve and a solo recital.

Gelb added, “I had a painful discussion with her in my office, because I wanted her to hear it from me. I said that we needed to wait until she was back singing well again, and then we’d be happy to have her return. She had a hard time accepting that.”

According to the New York Times article, Rachvelishvili thought the “first performance went passably,” but reviews were mixed.

Throughout the years of vocal struggles, the mezzo canceled performances at major theaters. She was, however, able to perform in productions at the Teatro San Carlo and the Greek National Opera. Over the years following her pregnancy, Rachvelishvili was open about her struggles and even took to social media in July 2023 where she said, “My dearest friends! It’s been a long time since my last post or any information that came directly from me! I was very sick! I’ve had very very difficult last couple of years! My health was getting worse and I tried to stay strong and keep going, for my family, for our Little angel, for Opera and for love that I have for what I do. I tried hard but as you know we can not force our health. I kept going till I could but with little success and lots of suffering!”

She added, “I had to stop at the beginning of June and take care of myself! I am so sorry! It was a very difficult decision! I feel better and I am being treated by the best team of doctors and I will be back very soon! I will tell you my story as soon as possible and we will talk a lot about all the issues that a woman can have doing what we do! Meanwhile, I want to say thank you to my amazing Husband, who is always there for me. To my friends and family who were there for me, to all the theaters, casting directors and intendants who supported me in a very difficult period and the most importantly, a huge thank you to my amazing manager Alan Green, he was there for me for every second and for every difficulty that I’ve encountered. I am so grateful for having amazing people in my life and I feel lucky and blessed! Wish you all health and happiness and looking forward to seeing you soon on stage.”

The mezzo eventually returned to the stage for a production of “Rusalka” in December 2024 at the Teatro San Carlo. She scored rave reviews with critics stating, she had a “commanding stage presence and a mezzo-soprano of extraordinary richness.”

According to the New York Post, the Metropolitan Opera’s spokesperson did not comment.

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