The court ruled that the Met should compensate Netrebko for 13 opera performances that were canceled after she declined to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin over the special military operation launched in Ukraine in February 2022, the newspaper reported. The opera had previously said that Netrebko had violated the company's conduct clause with her refusal to comply with its demand that she denounce Putin.
The judge argued that Netrebko had "a right to be" a Putin supporter, which was not "worthy, in and of itself, of actionable misconduct."
The Met is also obligated to pay the Russian opera diva under a contractual agreement, requiring the company to pay performers even if it later decides not to engage them, according to the American media.
In March 2022, the opera announced that Netrebko would not take part in further productions because she had not complied with the requirement to give up public support for Russian President Vladimir Putin amid Ukrainian conflict. For the same reason, the Bavarian State Opera broke off relations with the singer. Netrebko resumed her opera and concert appearances after a short break.