Judge limits Anna Netrebko’s lawsuit against Met Opera to gender discrimination

Anna Netrebko’s legal battle against the Metropolitan Opera took a new turn as a federal judge dismissed some of her claims but allowed gender discrimination allegations to proceed. Judge Analisa Nadine Torres in Manhattan ruled in favor of dropping Netrebko’s defamation, breach of contract, and discrimination based on national origin claims in the lawsuit filed on Aug. 4 last year.
The renowned soprano was removed from future performances by the Met following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Met General Manager Peter Gelb had requested she denounce Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Netrebko’s manager, Miguel Esteban, stated that despite the narrowed scope of the lawsuit, there remains a significant case against the Met for wronging the soprano. Netrebko is determined to pursue the complaint to uphold her rights, restore her reputation, and prove that the Metropolitan Opera and Peter Gelb acted unlawfully.
Although the case has not yet been scheduled for trial, the Met expressed satisfaction over the dismissal of three of the four claims and believed the remaining one to be also without merit. The American Guild of Musical Artists filed a grievance on Netrebko’s behalf, leading to an arbitrator ruling in favor of the union, awarding compensation amounting to $209,103.48, citing a violation of the collective bargaining agreement by the Met.
Regarding allegations of breach of additional agreements for 40 performances, the judge ruled against Netrebko, highlighting that those engagements were never solidified into contracts. The defamation claim was also dismissed as Netrebko failed to show that her statements distancing herself from Putin’s actions affected the Met’s perception of her support for the Russian leader.
However, Torres allowed Netrebko to move forward with gender discrimination claims under New York State Human Rights Law and New York City Human Rights Law, citing male colleagues with alleged ties to Putin receiving preferential treatment. Bass-baritone Evgeny Nikitin and baritones Igor Golovatenko and Alexey Markov were mentioned as examples, with the judge finding the allegations plausible and rejecting the Met’s motion to dismiss.