X-Men Director Bryan Singer Hit With More Sexual Assault Allegations

X-Men director Bryan Singer is named in an expose by The Atlantic to have engaged in sexual encounters with four underage teens in the 1990s. The now adult men allege a variety of pretty disturbing sexual exploits, with one saying Singer had sex with him when he was 15, another that he was groped on the set of Apt Pupil and others that he sexually harassed them and used drugs and alcohol in order to lower their inhibitions.

These allegations can be added to an increasingly large pile, with The Atlantic explaining that they’ve spent the last year investigating various men’s claims against Singer. This has consisted of tracking and down and interviewing more than 50 sources, many of whom have asked that their identities be concealed for fear of retribution.

In combination, they paint a pretty ugly picture, with the individuals claiming that Singer has an eye for underage boys and he left many of them with lasting psychological damage, substance abuse problems, depression and PTSD. They conclude that the director’s “a troubled man who surrounded himself with vulnerable teenage boys” and that he was empowered to carry out the alleged abuse by being an important part of an industry that carries an immense amount of power, with individuals like him able to make or break someone’s career.

All this coming out perhaps explains why Singer was fired from working on Bohemian Rhapsody three weeks prior to shooting ending, with the last round of directorial duties being taken by Dexter Fletcher. The film has garnered a surprising amount of awards success over the last few months, yet Singer’s name has been notably absent from any ceremony speeches and he hasn’t appeared on the red carpet, either.

Soon after the article was published in The Atlantic, the director hit back in a statement, writing:

“The last time I posted about this subject, Esquire magazine was preparing to publish an article written by a homophobic journalist who has a bizarre obsession with me dating back to 1997. After careful fact-checking and, in consideration of the lack of credible sources, Esquire chose not to publish this piece of vendetta journalism. That didn’t stop this writer from selling it to The Atlantic. It’s sad that The Atlantic would stoop to this low standard of journalistic integrity. Again, I am forced to reiterate that this story rehashes claims from bogus lawsuits filed by a disreputable cast of individuals willing to lie for money or attention. And it is no surprise that, with Bohemian Rhapsody being an award-winning hit, this homophobic smear piece has been conveniently timed to take advantage of its success.”

I guess we’ll see whether these allegations result in criminal charges, or whether this will affect his career. Right now, Bryan Singer‘s working on Red Sonja for Millennium Films, which is a little awkward as the main character’s a survivor of sexual assault. As such, it’ll be interesting to see whether the studio goes ahead and releases it or not in light of these allegations.