MADRID, Spain: Calling the allegations against him of sexual misconduct "absolutely untrue", Grammy-winning singer Julio Iglesias has denied that he sexually assaulted two former employees.

Spanish news outlet elDiario.es and U.S. television network Univision Noticias published a joint, three-year investigation earlier this week alleging that Iglesias had sexually and physically assaulted two women who worked at his residences in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas between January and October 2021.

A day later, Spanish prosecutors said they were studying the allegations.

"With deep sorrow, I respond to the accusations made by two people who previously worked at my home. I deny having abused, coerced, or disrespected any woman. These accusations are absolutely false and cause me great sadness," Iglesias said on Instagram.

Spanish officials said a high court received formal complaints against Iglesias on January 5. The Madrid-based court can hear cases involving crimes allegedly committed by Spanish citizens abroad, according to its press office, and Iglesias could be summoned to appear before it.

A rights group representing two women said they accused Iglesias of crimes involving sexual abuse, including sexual harassment, as well as human trafficking for forced labor and servitude. Women's Link Worldwide said the two women filed the complaint with the Spanish court.

The 82-year-old singer is one of the world's most successful musicians, with more than 300 million records sold in over a dozen languages. He began his career in Spain and became very popular in the U.S. and around the world in the 1970s and 1980s. He is the father of pop star Enrique Iglesias.

In 1988, he won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Performance for the album Un Hombre Solo, and in 2019, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys.

"I have never faced such cruelty, but I still have the strength to let the truth be known and to defend my dignity against such serious accusations," Iglesias wrote on social media.

He also thanked people who sent him messages of support.