Plácido Domingo has given his first interview since he was accused by 20 women of sexual misconduct.

The legendary singer noted in an interview with El Confidencial that he left the Metropolitan Opera and the LA Opera out of respect for his colleagues and since judgement was placed on him instantaneously he decided to remain calm and silent until all the fury passed.

The tenor also responded to questions of abuse of power and noted that the only time he had acted like a god was in the operas “The Enchanted Island” and “Nabucco” and that being a leader in the U.S opera companies didn’t give him the power to hurt anyone’s careers because of how many people were involved in the decision process. He also noted that he instead had helped impulse a number of young artist’s careers and that he was happy with the success of Operalia which has brought a number of young singers to the major opera stages. He also clarified that  suggesting roles or career paths was not the same thing as promising a role or a run of performances.

Domingo also denied all the allegations and spoke about cultural differences noting that Spaniards are naturally “warm, affectionate and loving,” adding that he has always been “gallant.” He said that “gallant gestures are viewed differently nowadays.”