Bryan Singer accused of sexual abuse with four underage boys [Updated]

[News]

Trouble continues to follow Bryan Singer. The disgraced filmmaker has been accused of sexual abuse by four more men, who say they were targeted when they were underage in a new investigative report for The Atlantic.

The report stems from an exhaustive 12-month investigation, involving multiple journalists and over 50 sources, which include the aforementioned four men who had previously never spoken about their experiences with Singer.

One of the four men is Victor Valdovinos, who served as an extra at the age of 13 for Singer’s 1998 film, Apt Pupil. He recalls being cornered in a locker room by Singer, who “grabbed my genitals and started masturbating it,” he tells The Atlantic.

The other three men chose to remain unidentified for the report. Two men – who are referred to as Eric and Andy – recount having sex with Singer at the ages of 17 and 15, respectively, and say Singer both knew they were underage. And another, who goes by Ben, says he engaged in oral sex with Singer when he “was either 17 or 18.”

“The portrait of Singer that emerges is of a troubled man who surrounded himself with vulnerable teenage boys,” the report goes on to describe, “many of them estranged from their families. Their accounts suggest that Singer didn’t act alone; he was aided by friends and associates who brought him young men.”

A number of those associates, The Atlantic goes on to detail, involve Singer’s previous ties and investments with Digital Entertainment Network (DEN), which was founded in 1998 with an emphasis to produce entertainment for gay teens.

One of Singer’s accusers — the aforementioned Andy — alleges being groomed by DEN CEO Marc Collins-Rector, who drove him to the company’s headquarters, an Encino mansion, where he met Singer during a party and the two had sex upstairs.

In 2000, Collins-Rector fled the country after bring indicted by a federal grand jury. He was eventually extradited to the States, where he ultimately pleaded guilty to nine charges of transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of sex. In the wake of the controversies, DEN filed for bankruptcy; Singer’s name was never mentioned once in any of the lawsuits or investigations.

The Atlantic report arrives less than 24 hours after Bohemian Rhapsody was nominated for multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture. In December 2017, Singer was fired from the production by 20th Century Fox, only three days prior to similar accusations of misconduct made by Cesar Sanchez-Guzman. Despite the firing, Singer remains the sole credited director due to union regulations.

Singer’s lawyer, Andrew Brettler, denied any of the current allegations to The Atlantic and disputed various details of the accusers’ accounts. Singer himself preemptively disputed any reports back in October via Instagram, writing:

“I have known for some time that [there may be] a negative article about me. 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 [these reporters are] attempting to do is a reckless disregard for the truth, making assumptions that are fictional and irresponsible.”

Update: Singer has issued a statement dismissing The Atlantic article as “a homophobic smear piece [that] has been congenitally timed to take advantage of” the success of Bohemian Rhapsody. Additionally, Singer implied that Esquire originally intended to publish the story, but “after careful fact-checking and, in consideration of the lack of credible sources, Esquire chose not to publish this piece of vendetta journalism.”

2. Bryan Singer’s statement in response to the Atlantic investigation. pic.twitter.com/kx98H6lAcG

— Yashar Ali (@yashar) January 23, 2019

As previously reported, Singer is still slated to direct a remake of Red Sonja for Millenium Films. He’s also expressed interest in working with actor Kevin Spacey, who is also wading through his own sea of accusations.

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