There are new sexual abuse allegations against director Bryan Singer—one of which involves a 13-year-old boy
In December 2017, Bohemian Rhapsody director Bryan Singer was sued for allegedly raping a 17-year-old in 2003. It wasn’t the first time Singer had been accused of sexual assault, however, and now four more allegations have emerged against the filmmaker. A report published in The Atlantic today, January 23rd, depicts Singer as a serial sexual predator who “surrounded himself with vulnerable teenage boys,” often with the help of friends or aides. The article also includes allegations that Singer assaulted four different men when they were teenagers. One, Victor Valdovinos, claimed that the director groped him when he was a 13-year-old extra in Apt Pupil. Two of the men accused Singer of statutory rape, and the fourth man, identified as Ben, told the magazine that he and Singer had oral sex when he was 17 or 18.
"He would stick his hands down your pants without your consent," Ben told The Atlantic. "He was predatory in that he would ply people with alcohol and drugs and then have sex with them."
The alleged victims told The Atlantic that the assaults had caused PTSD, substance abuse, and depression. The magazine noted that Singer’s lawyer, Andrew Brettler, denied the allegations against the director.
The “Bohemian Rhapsody” director Bryan Singer has been trailed by accusations of sexual misconduct for 20 years. Here, his alleged victims tell their stories. @MisterAlexFren1 and @maxapotter report: https://t.co/PeKrnUEqRu
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) January 23, 2019
In a statement tweeted by The Atlantic‘s communications team, the article’s writers, Maximillian Potter and Alex French, noted that the piece was originally meant to run in Esquire. However, Potter and French said that Hearst executives killed the story.
Statement from reporters Maximillian Potter and Alex French on investigation of Bryan Singer published in @TheAtlantic: pic.twitter.com/iouvNZGQtz
— The Atlantic Communications (@TheAtlanticPR) January 23, 2019
Singer himself later issued a statement to Variety, arguing that the allegations weren’t credible, pointing to the fact that Hearst had chosen not to print the story.
"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," his statement read. "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."
Reports of Singer’s sexual abuse have been circulating for decades. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he was sued in 2014 for allegedly drugging and raping a man in 1999. We’ll be watching to see how this story develops. In the meantime, we stand with Singer’s accusers and with all survivors of sexual assault.
