Who is Bryan Singer, the “X-Men” director accused of rape”?

The name “Bryan Singer” has been in the news a lot lately — specifically in regard to rape and sexual abuse allegations. This may lead many to wonder, “Who exactly is Bryan Singer?”

Born in New York in 1965, Singer is a Hollywood director and producer most famous for directing several high-profile X-Men movies — including 2000s’ X-Men, and 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse. He also directed the 1995 classic The Usual Suspects, produced 2006’s Superman Returns, and has worked on shows like House and Legion. Most recently, he directed X-Men: Dark Phoenix, set to be released in 2018.

However, sexual misconduct rumors have followed Singer throughout his career. In 2014, a man named Michael Egan accused the director of drugging and raping him in 1999, though Egan later dropped the suit.

In the past, sources have noted that Singer had a penchant for younger men. “For 20 years he’s had young guys around him, whether they’re assistants or friends. However they were described to you, they were always around,” an unnamed source told The Hollywood Reporter in a 2014 exposé. However, as several other sources noted in the same piece, that fact alone does not equate proof of wrong-doing.

Singer is currently being sued by Cesar Sanchez-Guzman, who says the director raped him on a yacht in 2003 when Guzman was 17 years old. A representative for Singer says he, “categorically denies these allegations and will vehemently defend this lawsuit to the very end. […] Once Bryan prevails, he will pursue his own claims for malicious prosecution.”

Singer was fired as director of Bohemian Rhapsody — a biopic about the British rock group Queen — earlier this month.