Ricky Martin and his nephew settle legal dispute after nearly three years

After nearly three years of legal back-and-forth, Ricky Martin and his nephew Dennis Yadiel Sánchez Martin have officially put an end to their headline-making legal battle. According to reports, both parties asked the court to dismiss their respective lawsuits, and a judge in San Juan, Puerto Rico, granted the request.

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On April 7, Judge Arnaldo Castro Callejo, of the Court of First Instance of San Juan, Puerto Rico, issued a ruling to dismiss the case that Ricky had filed against his nephew in 2022 for extortion, malicious prosecution, abuse of rights, and emotional damages, according to the Puerto Rican media outlet El Vocero. 

The decision came after both sides jointly requested to drop the claims and counterclaims without awarding any legal fees or additional costs to either side.  "The parties further stipulate that the dismissal with prejudice of the claim and counterclaim will be without the imposition of costs, expenses, or attorney's fees on either party and that the Court's Order to Dismiss the claim will become final and binding as of the date of notification," states the request signed by attorneys for Ricky and Dennis.

For his part, Judge Castro Callejo stated in the ruling that "by agreement between the parties, the court will retain jurisdiction to ensure compliance, and the judgment will be final and binding upon its issuance." The ruling is now final and binding.

How the conflict began

This marks a dramatic turn in what’s been one of the most shocking chapters in Ricky's personal life. It all began in July 2022, when Dennis accused the singer of sexual abuse and requested a restraining order—claims Ricky has always denied. After an initial virtual appearance, he unexpectedly withdrew his allegations, and the judge dismissed the case, and a restraining order was never filed against the singer.

Later that same year, Ricky filed a $20 million lawsuit against his nephew, claiming the accusations had caused him to lose major contracts and future work. His legal team also alleged that Dennis had been harassing the singer and his family on social media, prompting a judge to issue an order banning any contact.

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Even after the initial case was dismissed, Dennis filed a counterclaim in May 2023, seeking $10 million in damages and once again accusing Ricky of non-consensual behavior—claims the singer continued to deny, calling them “offensive” and “completely false.”

Now, with the dismissal officially on the books, it seems both parties are ready to move forward. Ricky has stayed relatively quiet about the latest development—but there is no doubt this legal closure comes as a relief.