The Tel Aviv District Attorney's office informed singer Eyal Golan's defense attorney on Wednesday that it has dropped its case against him, citing a lack of evidence. The decision comes three months after allegations first surfaced of sexual acts between the Mizrahi pop star and teenage girls.
In a statement released to the media by his PR office, Golan thanked his family and supporters for standing by him throughout the ordeal.
"I want to thank my mother, my children and the public for supporting me the entire time," Golan said. Golan's defense attorneys, Ronen Rozenberg and Meital Danino, warmly welcomed the district attorney's decision.
Golan, one of Israel's most famous Mizrahi signers, received the news on Wednesday in the presence of his former girlfriend, model Ruslana Rodina. After the decision was announced, Rodina's agent uploaded a picture of the two of them, under the headline, "It doesn't matter what they say, I love the two of them and wish them the best of luck."
Only a few moments later, the picture was taken down from the website at Golan's request -- perhaps the singer's attempt to keep a low profile on everything regarding his relationship with Rodina.
Despite the recent scandal, Golan has wasted little time professionally. On Wednesday, he launched a television campaign titled "The Winter Sweep." He was also scheduled to take part in a women's conference starting on Thursday in Eilat. Security was heightened at the hotel where the conference was to take place after some people criticized the singer's decision to participate at a conference on women, just a few months after the sex scandal broke.
Police interrogated the singer three times over suspicions of committing sexual acts with minors.
During the investigation, Golan said that "my father [Danny Biton] came to me over the past year with two girls. One of the them said she was 21 years old, and sexual things started between us. I felt something was wrong; I wasn't sure of her age. I asked her for her age and she said she was drunk and was 18, 17 and a half."
Golan also said that, while he was having sexual relations with the girl, his father was sitting in the living room. When asked how long their sexual activity lasted, Golan answered, "Three minutes."
"I stopped her," he said.
Golan told interrogators he was angry with what his father did.
"I told him that my career would be destroyed because of him," Golan said. "I was furious with him for bringing girls between 17 and a half and 19 years old. I'm somebody who tries rather hard not to get involved with those ages."
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