After years of abuse allegations how is Bryan Singer still at large?
In December 2017, Gloden-Globe winning director Byan Singer of X-Men fame was fired from the upcoming Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. Three days later, news broke of a lawsuit against Singer. Cesar Sanchez Guzman sued Singer for allegedly raping him in 2003.
While the media was quick to link the two together, Fox, the company producing Bohemian Rhapsody, claimed they had no knowledge of the suit and that Bryan Singer was fired for multiple absences. Nonetheless, it was neither the first nor the last time Singer has been accused of sexual assault.
We have to wonder, with multiple sex accusations against Bryan Singer, why is he still around? After Harvey Weinstein was prosecuted after sexual assault charges, some in Hollywood were sure Singer would be next. How did he escape the notice of the #MeToo movement and why is he still at large?
Just because the victim isn’t female doesn’t make it OK
We’re going to clear the air on a couple of much-needed points. Yes, the #MeToo movement focused on women being harassed and sexually assaulted by powerful men with no accountability. That doesn’t mean men and nonbinary people can’t be victims, too.
Since Bryan Singer’s victims were men, we feel that’s a reason they were ignored. With #MeToo painted solely as a women’s issue, it overshadowed other voices of sexual harassment.
Singer’s predatory actions should never be an indictment against the queer community
A stereotype that’s been levied against gay men since forever is that they prey on or sexually abuse/assault young boys and men. This fiction has led to several anti-gay laws, most notably adoption restrictions. Bryan Singer’s actions shouldn’t further this stereotype nor contribute to the bigoted untruth that gay men are pedophiles.
Victims reported in The Atlantic investigation
For twelve months, The Atlantic investigated allegations against Bryan Singer that go back twenty years. The first one they found was in 1997 made by Victor Valdovinos who was thirteen at the time. He stated that Bryan Singer approached him from behind at a urinal and called him good-looking. Singer offered Valdavinos a part as an extra.
Bryan Singer offered the seventh-grader a part as an extra in his adaptation of the Stephen King novella Apt Pupil about an escaped Nazi and his teenage neighbor. Singer was at the school filming and scouting for extras. A scene in the shower, where Apt Pupil’s protagonist Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro) is fantasizing about gas chambers.
Victor Valdovinos recounted how Bryan Singer molested him before filming the shower scene in The Atlantic. The experience haunted him for the rest of his life. He went from a football scholarship student to a teen parent and school dropout working minimum wage jobs.
Apt Pupil and the lawsuits that followed
Valdovinos wasn’t alone in his allegations against Bryan Singer. The actions of Singer and his crew on the set of Apt Pupil prompted several lawsuits.
The plaintiffs were five boys between the ages of fourteen and seventeen, alleging that Bryan Singer and the crew bullied them into being nude for the shower scene. They understood they would be partially nude for the shot, but wearing speedos to keep from being exposed.
Bryan Singer and the crew claimed there was a mix-up, and they believed the boys were adult extras on set that day. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount and the LA County DA declined to press charges.
Pool parties with Hollywood elite
Bryan Singer became known for wild pool parties he threw at his mansion. He would invite young boys to participate. One claimed he was molested there. According to a source, Singer would invite young, vulnerable boys to these parties so he and his guests could prey on them.
The parties didn’t stop at Bryan Singer’s house. When he worked for DEN, a film company that produced content for teenagers, he would host parties for the young actors. One employee remembers that he showed young boys pornography in a private movie theater.
Rape allegations in the UK
The rape allegations and lawsuits didn’t stop after Apt Pupil. Bryan Singer faced two more lawsuits, one in 2017 against Singer and Gary Goddard, where both men were sued for intoxicating and raping a John Doe, who was fourteen at the time of the incident.
Michael Egan’s lawsuit was a victory for Bryan Singer
Michael Egan brought a lawsuit against Bryan singer for sexual assault when they were in Hawaii together. However, a series of events left Egan looking uncredible. Egan was caught in an embezzlement dispute and his story became inconsistent over the course of the trial. Egan withdrew his case after filing for bankruptcy.
The media portrayed Michael Egan as a slanderer and since the case was dropped, it appeared Bryan Singer was vindicated. However, Egan passed a polygraph test, his story was deemed credibly by a psychologist, and Singer was going to settle with Egan.
What does this mean for future cases?
As Bryan Singer’s defense team points out, he was never charged with a crime. While Singer settled with some of his alleged victims, or he was prepared to, the cases never got to criminal court.
If future civil allegations come to light, Bryan Singer can use prior cases against him like Egan’s in his favor. Since previous cases fell through and the court deemed some false, Singer’s defense team can use these cases to discredit future accusers.
Is Bryan Singer troubled?
Sexual assault and preying on minors are bad and should never be excused away. That said, reports indicate Bryan Singer may be abusing prescription medicine which is the reason he is chronically late or absent during filming. If this is true, Singer may need help in addition to being held accountable for any harm he caused young boys.
