Anna Netrebko sues the Metropolitan Opera: the singer demands $360 in compensation

Russian diva Anna Netrebko sued the New York Metropolitan Opera after her fired after Russia invaded Ukraine. He writes about it with the BBC.

The world-famous soprano is suing a leading US theater and its manager for $360 in damages.

The theater responded with a statement stating that the claim had no basis.

Netrebko's lawsuit against the Metropolitan Opera and manager Peter Gelb was filed in the US District Court in Manhattan on August 4.

In it, the opera diva alleges libel, breach of contract and other obligations, and also demands damages in the amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a missed performance and rehearsal fees.

On the subject: The Metropolitan Opera fired Anna Netrebko's husband, tenor Yusif Eyvazov

The 51-year-old woman claims the Metropolitan Opera has caused her "great mental and emotional distress," including "depression, humiliation, embarrassment, stress and anxiety, as well as emotional pain and suffering."

Netrebko, who has Austrian citizenship, has previously expressed support for President Putin. In 2014, she donated money to a theater in the Russian-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine and posted a photo with the flag of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, it was called upon to speak out against Putin and the war.

In the end she agreed with the demands to condemn the conflict, but did not condemn the Russian president, and the Metropolitan Opera refused her in all future performances one month after the invasion.

The lawsuit alleges that the Metropolitan Opera and Peter Gelb in particular "damaged Netrebko's relationship with the public, including by encouraging protests against her performances." In addition, allegedly the fact that she criticized the war deprived her of contracts with Russian theater troupes.

Earlier this year, Netrebko filed a separate complaint through the union representing opera singers, the Musical Performers Guild of America.

The arbitrator in that dispute ruled in February that the Metropolitan Opera was in breach of contract when it canceled certain performances, and awarded her more than $200 in damages.

Since she was dropped by the Metropolitan Opera, where she has sung for 20 years, Netrebko has performed elsewhere, including in Italy in June, and her upcoming performances are scheduled in Buenos Aires, Berlin, Vienna, Milan. and Paris.

She was going to perform in Prague in October, but last month the city's deputy mayor urged the concert hall to cancel the performance.

Jiri Pospisil said he had met with Ukrainian officials - Ms. Netrebko is on Ukraine's sanctions list. The producer who organized the event noted that Netrebko had condemned the war, and he did not understand the attempts to cancel the event, which was almost sold out.