Director Bryan Singer has some cause for celebration. The X-Men: Days of Future Past director has been dismissed from a UK sex abuse lawsuit filed by an anonymous British actor.
Court papers were filed in central California today that dismisses the case against Singer “with prejudice,” ending Singer’s involvement in the suit and vindicating both him and his attorney Marty Singer (no relation), who says that he’s “pleased the case was dismissed.”
Bryan Singer has had several sex-abuse allegations levelled against him, beginning with the lawsuit brought about by actor Michael Egan that stated Singer had abused him when he was a teen. Both that lawsuit and the now-dismissed UK suit were filed by attorney Jeff Herman. The UK suit involved allegations that Singer had sex with the then 17 year old plaintiff at a Superman Returns after-party in London. The plaintiff claimed that he resisted, but was held down by a large man while Singer attacked him and producer Gary Goddard looked on. Goddard has also filed a motion to dismiss the suit, which has been countered by the plaintiff in the case. That section of the case seems to not quite be over, even if Singer appears to be well out of it now.
The allegations have cast a bit of a pall over Singer’s future in Hollywood, and certainly contributed to a less than stellar reputation for the director. While this suit is now past, the aftermath is far from over. It’s likely that these allegations will remain in the public mind. What implications this may have for Singer’s future employability is up for debate, and probably will not be clear for quite awhile. It’s not like he’s the first big-name director to be involved in these kinds of allegations.
Regardless, the lawsuits have still raised even more questions about power and culpability in Hollywood, as well as provoked attacks both on Bryan Singer and on the plaintiffs from all sides.
