False or true, the allegations and charges against director Bryan Singer will not go away any time soon.
An upcoming article in Esquire magazine revisits sexual abuse and misconduct allegations leveled at Singer over the past two decades, at various points in his troubled career.
The piece has yet to appear online, but in an Instagram post, Singer suggested that it will be released in conjunction with Bohemian Rhapsody, his upcoming Freddie Mercury biopic, from which he was fired for unprofessional conduct.
“I have known for some time that Esquire magazine may publish a negative article about me,” Singer wrote. “They have contacted my friends, colleagues and people I don’t even know. In today’s climate where people’s careers are being harmed by mere accusations, what Esquire is attempting to do is a reckless disregard for the truth, making assumptions that are fictional and irresponsible.”
The accusations go back to 1997, when a 14-year-old extra accused Singer of asking him and other minors to appear a shower scene in the nude for the film Apt Pupil. Other adolescent boys, 16 and 17 years old, later supported the 14-year-old’s claim. The boys claimed trauma from the experience and sought charges against the filmmaker, including emotional distress, negligence, and invasion of privacy.
The boys alleged that they were filmed for sexual gratification. A lawsuit was filed but dismissed for insufficient evidence.
Last year, Singer was accused of rape by Cesar Sanchez-Guzman, who claims the director assaulted him in 2003 at a yacht party. Sanchez-Guzman was 17 years old at the time of the alleged rape.
Singer, along with other Hollywood executives, was previously accused by Michael Egan of assault in 2014. However, Egan later apologized and said his allegations were untrue.
Singer was also sued by an anonymous plaintiff in the U.K. in 2014, but that suit was also dropped.