Overview

The Bryan Singer Sexual Misconduct Allegations refers to a series of accusations made by numerous men about X-Men director Bryan Singer, who they say sexually harassed, abused or raped them. Singer, who has been fighting these allegations since the late-2000s, has repeatedly denied these accounts.

Background

Rumors about Singer's conduct, both on-set and in his personal life, have existed in the Hollywood media since 1997, during the production of Singer's film Apt Pupil. That year, according to Entertainment Weekly,^[1] a 14-year-old extra filed a lawsuit claiming that "filmmakers had ordered him and other minors to strip for a scene that was shot in the showers of a school locker room."

Two years, later he was sued for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor.

Over the next decade, rumors of his conduct surfaced online. On June 21st, 2009, an anonymous Datalounge^[2] message board user placed Singer in "The chickenhawk club," along with Kevin Spacey and director Gus Van Sant. Chickenhawk is a slang term for an older male who seeks younger men.^[3] In 2011, director Roland Emerich divulged^[4] that at Singer's New Year's Eve parties "there’s like 600, 700 twinks running around and he’s hiding in his room. That’s quite typical."

In 2014, Michael Egan filed suit against Singer for allegedly sexually abusing him when he was 17. According to the Hollywood Reporter,^[5] "The alleged conduct took place in 1999 and included rape and other physical force and forced intoxication with cocaine, including at 'sordid parties.'" Days later, BuzzFeed^[6] released a report into Singer's "tangled network of power, money, sex, and gay Hollywood."

Atlantic Article

In 2018, Bryan Singer posted a message on Instagram ^[7] that read, "I have known for some time that Esquire magazine may publish 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 harmed by mere accusations, what Esquire is attempting to do is a reckless disregard for the truth, making assumptions that are fictional and irresponsible (shown below).

Months later, on January 23rd, 2019, The Atlantic^[8] published the article, examining the two decades of allegations. In the article, the writers state:

We spent 12 months investigating various lawsuits and allegations against Singer. In total, we spoke with more than 50 sources, including four men who have never before told their stories to reporters. A man we’ll call Eric told us that he was 17 in 1997 when he and Singer had sex at a party at the director’s house; another we’ll call Andy says he was only 15 that same year, when he and Singer had sex in a Beverly Hills mansion. Both men say Singer, who was then in his early 30s, knew they were under 18, the age of consent in California. (They asked The Atlantic to conceal their identity for fear of retaliation, and because they didn’t want certain details about their past made public.)

Developments

Atlantic Publication

On January 23rd, 2019, The Atlantic's communications and public relations team tweeted, ^[9] "We have been asked why a story reported and written by two Esquire writers is being published in the Atlantic. This story began with our editors at Esquire. After months of reporting, the story went through Esquire's editorial process, which included fact-checking and vetting by a Hearst attorney, and the story was approved for publication. The story was then killed by Hearst executives. We do not know why." The tweet received more than 1,200 retweets and 3,000 likes in 24 hours (shown below).

Bryan Singer's Response

In a statement,^[10] Singer called the article a "homophobic smear piece." He said:

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. 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. And it is no surprise that, with Bohemian Rhapsody being an award-winning hit, this homophobic smear piece has been conveniently timed to take advantage of its success.

Online Response

Singer's abuse allegations have been the subject of debate and discourse online for more than a decade. In 2017, Change.org ^[11] user Emily Halaka started a petition to "remove Bryan Singer's name from the School of Cinematic Arts" at the University of Southern California. Within two years, the petition received more than 4,500 signature. His name was removed from the school's name.

On January 23rd, Redditor ^[12] yam12 posted the Atlantic piece in the /r/movies subreddit. The post received omre than 38,000 points (90% upvoted) and 4,600 comments in 24 hours.

Many online were expecting Singer's cast members to make a statement. Variety bureau chief tweeted,^[13] "Why did the women who worked with Harvey have to issue statements disavowing him but not the men who worked with Bryan Singer? Are @RealHughJackman and @IanMcKellen going to respond to this story?" The tweet received more than 300 retweets and 1,100 likes in 24 hours (shown below, left).

Actress Chloe Dykstra tweeted,^[14] "Bryan Singer has been a known predator in the industry for a long time. Have heard personal stories for a long time. Wasn’t sure why it took this long to bring his horrible shit to light- and then I read a major publishing company was trying to protect him. Fuck, I hate Hollywood." The tweet received more than 130 retweets and 1,200 likes in 24 hours (shown below, center).

Slate columnist Daniel Summers tweeted,^[15] "It was not homophobic to report on Kevin Spacey's predatory history. It is not homophobic to report on Bryan Singer's predatory history. It will never be homophobic to report on anyone's past or present predatory behavior because there is nothing predatory about being gay." The tweet received more than 6,400 retweets and 33,000 likes in 24 hours (shown below, right).

Hollywood Response

After the Atlantic published the article, Rami Malek, the star of Singer's Bohemian Rhapsody said that he "didn't know much about Bryan" when he signed on.^[16] He said, "As far as I knew, I was considered before Bryan was even attached, so I had my head down preparing for this for about a year ahead of time, and I never really looked up. I didn’t know much about Bryan. I think that the allegations and things were, believe it or not, honestly something I was not aware of, and that is what it is."

Search Interest

External Refences