Director Bryan Singer has spoken out for the first time since Michael Egan came forward with claims that Singer sexually abused him at wild Hollywood parties when Egan was a teenager. Singer, who was about to start promoting Fox’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, has decided to pull out of the press tour to keep the attention on the film, not himself.
Last week, Egan filed a lawsuit, alleging that Singer had abused him at parties in Encino, Calif.; Hollywood; and Hawaii when he was in his teens. He claimed that Singer used alcohol and drugs to lure him in, with the promise of putting him in one of his films.
Singer’s attorney, Marty Singer, quickly issued a statement calling the claims completely fabricated. His legal team threatened to sue if Egan’s lawsuit is dismissed.
In a statement to TheWrap and other media outlets, Singer echoed what his lawyer had said, calling the claims “outrageous, vicious and completely false.” However, Singer does not want to be bombarded with questions from the press, so he will not be doing the Days of Future press tour.
“I do not want these fictitious claims to divert ANY attention from X-Men: Days of Future Past. This fantastic film is a labor of love and one of the greatest experiences of my career,” Singer said. “So, out of respect to all of the extraordinary contributions from the incredibly talented actors and crew involved, I've decided not to participate in the upcoming media events for the film.”
He then called the situation a “sick twisted shake down” and thanked fans for their support.
Singer has already started to pull out of events. He did not attend WonderCon and will not go to a “Creativity Conference” in Washington DC.
