Julio Iglesias' 'secret son' speaks out: “I don't hold any grudges”

“We've got plenty of time to sort all that out,” says Valencia-born Javier Sánchez Santos, 40.

He obtained DNA samples through a private detective in Miami, where Iglesias – whose son, Enrique, is one of Spain's most popular singers of the century – has lived for many years.

The Sevilla-based family solicitor Fernando Osuna, who successfully proved last year that the young bullfighter Manuel Díaz was the illegitimate son of famous matador Manuel Benítez 'El Cordobés' is handling Javier's case.

This is the first time the son Iglesias disputes is his has spoken out, or revealed his identity – until now, he was only known by his first name and the fact he was born in 1977 following an alleged affair with a woman in Valencia, five years into the singer's marriage to part-Philippine model and it-girl Isabel Preysler, 66, who is soon to marry Peruvian Novel Literature Prize-winner Mario Vargas Llosa.

Sánchez Santos would be chart-topper Enrique Iglesias' half-brother, since Enrique is Julio's and Isabel's son.

After filing a paternity suit at a court in Valencia, Sánchez Santos said: “It's taken 27 years to obtain the DNA sample that my biological father has always refused to provide – and this sample shows a 99.9% probability level [the highest possible for a gene match] that I'm [Julio's] son and that my mother has always been telling me the truth.

“Now it's time for the justice system to repair the damage.”

Iglesias' legal team had found a 'technicality' which led to the paternity suit Javier filed in 1999 being thrown out, but now he has 'scientific evidence', Javier says he cannot see how the artist can carry on denying him.

Fernando Osuna says he has asked the court to compare the samples taken with those of Javier, and also with Julio's other children or his siblings.

If the singer refuses, Osuna says he 'will not rule out' requesting Iglesias' father, Julio Iglesias Puga – who died in 2005 – be exhumed.

“Evidently, the DNA samples we have were not supplied voluntarily,” Osuna explains.

“My client wants closure, he wants to find out where he comes from, and he wants his dignity, but I don't know whether he will then change his surname or not – and as for any inheritance, Javier's not bothered about that and, in any case, the artist is still alive so it's not an issue.”

Javier says: “I've got irrefutable evidence and, in the future, people will see that there were many things said that were not true – there are surprises to come out later, but now is not the time.

“My mother was accused of many things, which hurt me a lot, and I want to give her this gift – the proof that she has always been telling the truth and to clear her name, because it's the right moment now.

“I don't hold any grudges against Julio Iglesias for telling lies; we've got plenty of time to repair all that.”

Julio, 73 (pictured) has been married to Miranda Rijnsburger since 2010, and 'acquiring' new family members is not unusual to him: two years before his father died aged 91, the singer got a new baby brother, who is now 14 years old.