Before groups like One Direction and Backstreet Boys took the music world by storm, Ricky Martin initiated his singing career in the late ’70s as part of the Puerto Rican boy band, Menudo, which lasted until the early ’90s.
The band Menudo, formed in 1977 in Puerto Rico by producer Edgar Diaz, broke barriers and is ranked as the biggest Latin performers of all time. They are widely regarded as the most iconic pop Latino music group.
Ricky Martin, a Menudo member from 1984 to 1989, emerged as the most prominent figure to emerge from the band. The band originated with siblings Ricky Melendez, Carlos Melendez, and Oscar Meléndez, along with the Sallaberry brothers, Fernando and Nefty. Over time, various members joined and departed.
Many of the boys who came from poor families and had parents with little authority would often sign over much of their parental rights to the manager. According to Australia News, once they turned 16, the boys were replaced by new members using “the Youth Fountain strategy,” as used by Menudo.
“Ricky, right from the start, was akin to the prodigious child,” stated Ray Acevedo, a former member of Menudo from 1985 to 1988, in the HBO documentary titled “Menudo: Forever Young,” when discussing Ricky Martin’s addition to the band.
The documentary highlighted that as Martin stayed longer in the group, some of Menudo’s younger members would encounter difficulties.
Sergio Blass, who was part of Menudo from 1986 to 1990, expressed, “Being with Ricky was extremely tough as he held higher rank than me.” “I had to answer the door whenever someone knocked. I had to attend to the phone whenever it rang. I was essentially fulfilling the role of his homemaker.”
The group’s older children became the target of Martin Ricky, who is a bully. It is still unclear how much bullying has occurred within the group, but there have been reports of it.
Reports of Abuse in Menudo
“Producers and promoters” frequently exposed the underage boys, who were part of Menudo, to substances such as marijuana and cocaine. As per the Daily Mail, numerous former members claimed that they often lacked supervision or security, and allegations of mistreatment have emerged throughout the group’s history.
Sergio Blass mentioned in the HBO documentary, “And he reveals what must have been approximately a kilogram of cocaine. Unexpectedly, this unknown individual enters… We proceed to our accommodation. I’m accompanied by [fellow Menudo member] Rubén [Gómez], and we’re arriving at the hotel… On a certain occasion, we were in Colombia.”
Former members also admitted being subjected to physical abuse and sexual assault, with doors closed behind them. They said they were raped numerous times and exposed to predators who provided them with alcohol and drugs.
Within the collective, Angelo Garcia, one of the individuals who experienced sexual abuse in the past, mentioned in the HBO documentary that he endured multiple instances of rape at the hands of “predators” during his early years.
When he woke up, he described the terrifying experience he had after he was given alcohol and passed out, saying “I knew I had been violated because I woke up bleeding and naked.”
In a 2014 interview with the Brazilian show “Domingo Espectacular,” ex-Menudo artist Roy Rossello expressed his opposition to his previous manager.
Allegedly, individuals such as Edgardo Diaz and members of Menudo sexually assaulted him. Rossello disclosed that during the latest gathering he joined, Edgar had Ricky [Martin] portray a female character.
He added, “While I was praying for a car to run over me, I ran to the street. As I was running, I punched the person [Draco Rosa] who came towards me, and I called Robi. I ran to the left and entered there.”
At that particular moment, God granted him the ability to articulate the power that God had bestowed upon him. However, Rossello clarified that he did not feel prepared to express himself beforehand.
Ricky Martin has yet to comment on the claims of assault and abuse, noting that he was not looking for anything other than spreading awareness. He also added that he had already forgiven Diaz for the exploitation and mistreatment.