Bryan Singer, director of X-Men movies, is in big trouble with the law

[zelmo73]

It appears that he allegedly pulled a Roman Polanski on some poor, unsuspecting teenage boy a while back, according to this lawsuit:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2606630/X-Men-director-Bryan-Singer-accused-sexually-abusing-underage-child-actor-providing-minor-alcohol-drugs.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

X-Men director Bryan Singer accused of sexually abusing underage male child actor and giving him alcohol and drugs during 'sordid Hollywood sex ring' parties
 
•The 48-year-old director was hit with a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Hawaii
•Victim Michael Egan is now 31, but was 17 years old when Singer carried out some of the alleged abuse
•Singer's latest film, X-Men: Days of Future Past, premieres next month

Just a month before his next film X-Men: Days of Future Past is set to release, director Bryan Singer has been accused of child molestation.

According to documents filed in Hawaii, 31-year-old Michael Egan claims Singer used his power in the entertainment industry to sexually exploit him when he was an underage teen actor striking it out in Los Angeles.

Now Egan is suing the director, for $300,000 for the 'catastrophic psychological and emotional injuries' he says he suffered, the documents filed Wednesday explain.

Representing Egan is attorney Jeff Herman, who plans on filing more sex abuse cases against film industry execs soon.

'Hollywood has a problem with the sexual exploitation of children. This is the first of many cases I will be filing to give these victims a voice and to expose the issue,' Mr Herman said in a press release.

In the suit, Egan claims the abuse started when he  was 14 or 15 and moved to Los Angeles with his family to start his acting career.

It was in LA that he was introduced to another Hollywood powerplayer, Marc Collins-Rector and his lover Chad Shackley, he claims. Egan was invited to one of Collins-Rector's 'notorious' parties held at his home, dubbed the M&C Estate in Encino, California.

According to the suit, the parties were well-known in Hollywood and attended by investors in Collin-Rector's company who lured young boys as part of a 'sordid sex ring'. Collins-Rector eventually faced justice himself, admitting in court in 2004 that he lured five minors across state lines for sexual purposes.

While these parties allegedly 'featured sexual contact between adult males and the many teenage boys', Egan maintains he 'never freely' consented to the advances.

It was two or three months after Collins-Rector began allegedly abusing Egan that he was introduced to Singer at one of the parties.

Egan was in the pool when Collins-Rector approached him and ordered him out to hug Singer.

Egan was nude, as per the rules of the house pool, so when he hugged Singer the director allegedly 'grabbed his bare buttocks'.

Egan claims the three then went to a jacuzzi where he was ordered to sit on Collins-Rector's lap before being passed off to Singer.

Egan claims Singer brought him an alcoholic beverage, even though he was under age, and then promised him a part in one of the upcoming movies he was directing.

He spoke about the people at the party, saying 'this group' controls Hollywood.

According to the lawsuit, Singer told Egan he was 'sexy' and went on to masturbate the underage boy and perform oral sex on him. The director then told Egan to do the same to him, but the then-minor says he resisted.

That allegedly caused Singer to push the boy's head under water. When he finally got up for air, Singer again demanded he perform oral sex and when he refused for the second time, Singer took him out of the pool and forcibly sodomized him, Egan says.

The suit also refrences two trips Egan went on with Singer to Hawaii when he was 17 years old.

Egan stayed at Paul Mitchell's resort in Kailua, Hawaii where he says Singer provided on multiple occasions cocaine,  xanax, rohypnol, as well as other drugs and alcohol.

He even promised him a part in an X-Men movie he was directing.

Singer first started directing the comic book adaptations in 2000. In 1999, when the Hawaii trips happened, the director would have been around 33 years old.

Egan and his lawyer are scheduled to hold a press conference about the new lawsuit Thursday in Los Angeles.

They've filed in Hawaii, however, since the statue of limitations to file a suit is longer there and would have expired next week.

In response, Marty Singer, a lawyer for the director, said 'it is obvious that this case was filed in an attempt to get publicity,' ahead of the film's release.

'The claims made against Bryan Singer are completely without merit. We are very confident that Bryan will be vindicated in this absurd and defamatory lawsuit.'

[akiratubo]

Why does it seem like so many artistic type people just can't keep their hands off the jailbait?

[indianasmith]

On the one hand, I am prepared to believe almost any sort of moral turpitude from Hollywood.
On the other hand, a lawsuit filed demanding a huge chunk of money right before the statute of limitations runs out . . . hmmmm.

[zelmo73]

Holy cow, this is looking seriously bad for Singer if the allegations are true.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2607166/Bryan-Singers-wild-pool-parties-met-sex-assault-accuser-home-Hollywood-power-player-jailed-sex-minors.html

'They'd rape you by the side of the hot tub. You were a piece of meat': X-Men director Brian Singer's 'rape victim' describes sordid pool parties at home of Hollywood power broker

•In a press conference Thursday evening, alleged victim Michael Egan said Singer treated him like 'a piece of meat'

•He also claims he had 'a gun put in my mouth' by Hollywood power broker Mark Rector-Collins, so he'd do what he was told
•The 48-year-old director was hit with a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Hawaii
•Egan is now 31, but was 17 years old when Singer carried out some of the alleged abuse
•Singer's latest film, X-Men: Days of Future Past, premieres next month
•He co-hosts annual poolside 'boy parties' for Gay Pride - Attitude magazine said photos make them look like a 'prelude to an orgy'
•He has returned to the set of the 4D musical extravaganza he is helming
•Egan's lawyer Jeff Herman said there will be more rape allegations against other Hollywood power players next week

A 31-year-old man suing X-Men director Brian Singer for raping him as a young teen has opened up about the horrific alleged sexual abuse and the sordid pool parties where it took place.

In a press conference Thursday evening, Michael Egan said Singer treated him like 'a piece of meat' and he claims he had 'a gun put in my mouth' by Hollywood power broker Mark Rector-Collins so he'd do as he was told.

'I wouldn't say it was a relationship [with Singer], you were a piece of meat,' Egan said of how he was treated at the parties at Rector Collins' home that he allegedly began attending when he was just 14 or 15.

[Gst0395]

This seems to happen alot lately. It's become increasingly common with various media figures over here in UK ever since the Jimmy Savile scandal. Just various celebrities getting accused of being kiddy fiddlers. Some have been found innocent, others weren't so lucky. A weatherman who hosted weather reports in my area was found guilty quite recently.

Singer better damn well hope the allegations aren't true. This is not going to benefit Days of Future Past's performance. Innocent until proven guilty is all I can say.

[Umaril Has Returned]

As usual, look for some out-of-court settlement in terms of big money, as opposed to true justice where the man would have to do the same time as a regular Joe like you or me.  Let's face it, if Charlie Sheen can walk free after having a briefcase full of cocaine that would felonize him 100 times over, you know this guy is gonna' walk... 

[Jim H]

On the one hand, I am prepared to believe almost any sort of moral turpitude from Hollywood.
On the other hand, a lawsuit filed demanding a huge chunk of money right before the statute of limitations runs out . . . hmmmm.

And a month before the release of the biggest film he's ever made.  I also find the whole "I'm going to have a press conference about this" thing to be ridiculous.  Why do they do that?  What's the point?

I'm not even trying to deny that Egan was abused as a teen, or that abuses happen amongst the elite in Hollywood.  I think anywhere you have power concentrated in an industry like that there's probably certain abuses.  You hear a lot of rumors about the music industry.  It just pays to be skeptical with such odd circumstances.

On another note, I wish they'd make a bigger point of distinguishing between pedophilia and other sexual abuses/rape.  There's a difference between abuse of a 15 year old and a 5 year old.

[indianasmith]

You know, that is a point I have made for years.
A man who sleeps with a 16 year old girl is a creep, but a man who rapes a six year old is a monster.
One needs a good butt-whippin', the other needs to be SHOT. (at least)

[Trevor]

the other needs to be SHOT. (at least)

 

The people who abused me as a child and as an adolescent - including my birth parents - should also be shot, preferably with something carrying a very high caliber bullet. 

[Olivia Bauer]

Contrary to some beliefs, seventeen doesn't fall into the "Close enough" category.

[Jim H]

Contrary to some beliefs, seventeen doesn't fall into the "Close enough" category.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Age_of_Consent_-_North_America.svg

Depends on the state.  I've always found it surprising California has one of the higher ages of consent in the US.  They do differentiate if you're close in age - it's a lesser crime if a 17 year old is with a 20 year old than a 40 year old.  Egan says he was 14-15 when this started though.

[Olivia Bauer]

From what I've heard this kid is going after seven different rich people and has changed his story several times.

Yeah, I call bull.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Actually, from what I have seen on the story, there's been more heat than light. So, let me see if I can shed some light on this.

This is not the first time that Singer has been in trouble with the law for what he has done with underaged boys. Back in 1998, when he was directing "Apt Pupil," there was a shower scene featuring underaged actors. At that time he was accused of forcing the boys to shower in the nude, instead of finding some other way of shooting the scene. That scene did lead to a criminal investigation, which resulted in a finding of lack of evidence. There was also a civil case brought in regard to that scene. Again, that case was thrown out of court for lack of evidence.

The defendant's lawyer is well known in Hollywood for handling civil cases that have a sexual element to them And as much as we may decry his legal tactics in the case, at least in regard to this client, he is doing one of the best things possible to get a settlement, justified or not, and that is bringing the case just before the release of the next in the X-men franchise, or a film that cost  $250,000,000 to make. In the hope that a settlement is reached, before the film is released. For who wants something like this hanging over the release date of such an expensive film.

The problem with this type of suit, and not necessarily with this suit, but with others of this kind, is that it is often easier and cheaper to pay off the defendant, then it is to let the suit go to court, even if the suit has no merit. Which makes the Walt Disney Company one of the odd ones out, as they will pay, if they think the defendant has a case, but they seldom settle out of court, prefering to take their chances in court. Which is why, justifiablely or not, the Company is so seldom sued.

I also think that at this time the studios are standing behind Singer, as he is the producer/director of note of the next film in the X-men franchise, which is scheduled for release in 2016.

And despite all the controversy swirling around Singer, going back to 1998, he has always had plenty of work. Unlike Victor Salva who was convicted and served time in California for sexually molesting one of the young male actors in a film he directed and has found film work hard to come by ever since. Of course, that may be the difference between a director who is only "rumoured" to have molested young boys, and a man "convicted" of molesting a young boy. Also it may be because Singer is regarded as being a much better director than Salva.

We'll just have to see how things play out.