Met Opera Conductor James Levine Denies Sexual Abuse Allegations

Metropolitan Opera conductor James Levine on Thursday responded to the allegations of sexual abuse leveled against him, saying they are unfounded. “As understandably troubling as the accusations noted in recent press accounts are, they are unfounded,” Levine said in a statement. “As anyone who truly knows me will attest, I have not lived my life as an oppressor or an aggressor.” Levine was suspended from the Met, and the organization hired a law firm to probe the allegations, which were first revealed in The New York Times. Four men told the Times that Levine sexually abused them decades ago.