The Spanish singer Julio Iglesias has broken his silence over allegations that he sexually abused two women who worked in his Caribbean mansions, saying he has never “abused, coerced or disrespected any woman”.

The 82-year-old entertainer, whose career spans six decades, had been accused by two female former employees who allege they had been sexually assaulted and subjected “to inappropriate touching, insults and humiliation … in an atmosphere of control and constant harassment”.

The alleged assaults, which are said to have taken place in 2021, came to light on Tuesday after a three-year joint investigation by the Spanish news site elDiario.es and the Spanish-language TV network Univision Noticias.

“With great regret, I am responding to the allegations from two people who used to work in my house,” Iglesias wrote in a post on Instagram early on Friday morning. “I have never abused, coerced or disrespected any woman. These accusations are absolutely false and pain me deeply.”

The singer said he would “defend my dignity against this serious affront” and thanked “so very many dear people for their messages of love and support”.

The two women – a domestic worker and a physical therapist known by the pseudonyms Rebeca and Laura – have filed a complaint against Iglesias at Spain’s highest criminal court, the Audiencia Nacional, accusing him of sexual assault and human trafficking. The allegations are the subject of a preliminary investigation by prosecutors at the court.

Rebeca has alleged that Iglesias, who was 77 at the time, would often call her to his room at the end of the working day. She claimed he would then penetrate her anally and vaginally with his fingers without her consent. “He used me almost every night,” she said. “I felt like an object, like a slave.”

Laura alleged to elDiario.es and Univision Noticias that Iglesias had kissed her on the mouth and touched her breasts without her permission and against her will. “We were at the beach and he came up to me and touched my nipples,” she said, adding that a similar incident took place by the pool at the singer’s villa in Punta Cana, a luxury resort in the Dominican Republic.

On Wednesday, elDiario.es published testimony from Rebeca and another former worker, Carolina, in which they alleged being required to have medical tests to check for sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and chlamydia.

The women said they were then asked to send the results to one of Iglesias’s housekeepers. ElDiario.es also obtained medical documents apparently showing that five women employed at Iglesias’s villa in the Dominican Republic in 2021 underwent gynaecological examinations.

In an interview with elDiario.es, Laura said she and Rebeca had decided to file a complaint against Iglesias to encourage other women to come forward. “I think by taking legal action we’re sending a message to all the victims of this person – Julio Iglesias – so that they can speak out and believe in justice,” she said. “It’s so they can understand that this wasn’t something that just happened to them.”