Four men have come forward with new allegations of sexual misconduct against director Bryan Singer (Bohemian Rhapsody, X-Men, The Usual Suspects) in a new report in The Atlantic written by Alex French and Maximillian Potter. Singer has denied all of the allegations. The Atlantic reports, “When asked for comment, Singer’s lawyer, Andrew B. Brettler, noted that Singer has never been arrested for or charged with any crime, and that Singer categorically denies ever having sex with, or a preference for, underage men.” In a statement through his representative, reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Singer said, “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.”
One man who spoke with The Atlantic, Victor Valdovinos, claimed that Singer “grabbed my genitals and started masturbating it” on the set of Apt Pupil in 1997. Valdovinos was 13 years old; Singer was in his early thirties. Valdovinos also said Singer “rubbed his front part on me.” According to The Atlantic, Singer’s attorney said his client “did not know who Valdovinos was and denied that anything had happened between them.”
Another man, identified as Eric, said that he and Singer met at a Beverly Hills mansion in 1997 when he was 17 and the director was 31 years old. Eric claimed that, after having sex the night they met, “he and Singer had sex on and off for about five years.” (The age of consent in California is 18 years old.) A third man, referred to as Andy, said that he was 15 years old when he and Singer had sex at a Beverly Hills mansion in 1997.
A fourth man, identified as Ben, claimed that “he and Singer made out once,” and that when he was either 17 or 18 they had oral sex. Speaking with The Atlantic, Ben said Singer “would stick his hands down your pants without your consent,” and that “[h]e was predatory in that he would ply people with alcohol and drugs and then have sex with them.”
The Atlantic investigation includes an interview with Cesar Sanchez-Guzman, who sued Singer in 2017 for allegedly sexually assaulting him as a minor. The assault allegedly took place in 2003 when Sanchez-Guzman was 17. Singer previously denied Sanchez-Guzman’s claims when the lawsuit became public.
The Singer-directed Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody premiered in 2018. Shortly before filming was finished, production was halted “due to the unexpected unavailability of Bryan Singer.” Shortly after, Singer was fired from the movie.
Bohemian Rhapsody, which officially credits Bryan Singer as the director, has become a massive commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing music biopic of all time. The movie also took home Best Motion Picture—Drama at the Golden Globes and is up for Best Picture at the 2019 Oscars.