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Royal Opera, The Met removes tenor Vittorio Grigolo

Vittorio Grigolo, far right, was fired Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2019, from the Royal Opera in London and The Met in New York for inappropriate behavior. In this photo taken Dec. 14, 2016, Grigolo, Sting, left, and Trudie Styler attend “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” the 2016 Revlon Holiday Concert for the Rainforest Fund Gala at the Essex House on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016, in New York. (Michael Zorn / Invision/Associated Press)
Associated Press

NEW YORK – The Royal Opera in London and The Met in New York have removed tenor Vittorio Grigolo after an investigation found inappropriate and aggressive behavior at a curtain call.

A spokesperson for the Royal Opera said in a statement released Thursday that their investigation found his behavior “fell below the standards we expect of our staff and performers.”

A statement from The Met said he would also not be performing there this season, following the Royal Opera’s investigation.

The investigation started in September after a Sept. 18 incident when he sang the title role in Gounod’s “Faust“ on tour in Tokyo. Details on what transpired were not included in either opera company’s statement.

The statement said Grigolo would not return to perform in “Lucia Di Lammermoor“ at the Royal Opera House in 2020, and new casting for the role would be announced later.

Grigolo did not respond to an email sent by The AP for response.