Photo: Picture Perfect/REX USA. X-Men: Days of Future Past director Bryan Singer is the news today for all the wrong reasons, just a month before the film's eagerly-awaited release.
A lawsuit was filed yesterday in a Hawaiian federal court, accusing Singer of sexually abusing a 17-year-old boy back in 1999. The document goes into great detail about the multiple incidents that allegedly took place at the Encino, CA, M & C Estate, which the suit claims was the site of infamous sex parties that were well-attended by some very powerful Hollywood moguls.
The plaintiff, Michael Egan, claims that as an aspiring model and actor, he was invited to these parties where Singer drugged and raped him. He was told by the director that "the adults who resided in or frequented the M & C Estate controlled Hollywood and could decide whether the plantiff's career aspirations and hopes would be realized." The lawsuit also alleges that Singer went so far as to offer Egan movie roles in exchange for sexual favors.
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The sordid events that allegedly took place in the M & C Estate were all under the watch of the former Digital Entertainment Network chairman Marc Collins-Rector — himself a registered sex offender, who in 2004 pleaded guilty to luring minors across state lines for sexual acts. Although Collins-Rector is not named as a defendant, he is accused of being the catalyst of Egan's abuse by arranging his encounters with Singer.
The timing of the suit looks to be framed to incite a media frenzy, with the biggest film of Singer's career expected to topple this summer's box office. How 20th Century Fox — the studio behind the film — will decide to proceed with their upcoming press whirlwind remains to be seen. Singer's lawyers have already released a statement and are "very confident that Bryan will be vindicated in this absurd and defamatory lawsuit." They also address the questionable timing of the lawsuit, noting that it's "obvious that this case was filed in an attempt to get publicity at the time when Bryan's new movie is about to open in a few weeks."
We'll have more on this story as it develops. (The Guardian)