Bryan Singer has had a ruinous week. On December 4, 20th Century Fox fired Singer from the Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” for abandoning the London set; on December 6, the studio announced Dexter Fletcher as his replacement. In a statement, Singer ascribed his absence on “Bohemian Rhapsody” to caring for an ailing parent, but Fox also declined to renew its long-term deal with Singer’s production company, while his longtime publicist cut ties a few months ago.
Read More:Fox Fired Bryan Singer, but It Won’t Be Able to Remove Him as the Director of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
And then, on December 7, Singer hit the news cycle again: In a lawsuit filed by attorney Jeff Herman, Cesar Sanchez-Guzman accused Singer of sexually assaulting him in 2003, when Sanchez-Guzman was 17.
All of this represents a tremendous comedown for Singer, a blockbuster director whose films have made over $1 billion in domestic release alone.
Read More:Fox Fired Bryan Singer, but It Won’t Be Able to Remove Him as the Director of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
And then, on December 7, Singer hit the news cycle again: In a lawsuit filed by attorney Jeff Herman, Cesar Sanchez-Guzman accused Singer of sexually assaulting him in 2003, when Sanchez-Guzman was 17.
All of this represents a tremendous comedown for Singer, a blockbuster director whose films have made over $1 billion in domestic release alone.
- 12/8/2017
- by Jenna Marotta and Dana Harris
- Indiewire
“An Open Secret” sounds like the perfect title for a brand-new documentary addressing the entertainment industry’s sexual harassment and assault epidemic, which in recent weeks has uncoupled Harvey Weinstein, Roy Price, and Andy Signore from their companies (and caused James Toback, President George H.W. Bush, Oliver Stone, Ben Affleck, and Mark Halperin to confront their own allegations). However, the documentary — which focuses on the abuse male managers, agents, and publicists inflict on young, male clients — premiered at Doc NYC in November 2014 and had a small release the following June (IndieWire awarded it an A-).
Despite its current 93 percent Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, director Amy Berg — who’d previously investigated sexual abuse in “Prophet’s Prey” and “Deliver Us from Evil,” for which she earned a 2007 Best Feature Documentary Oscar nomination — was unable to find a distributor. “An Open Secret” producer Gabe Hoffman claims the film was even accepted,...
Despite its current 93 percent Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, director Amy Berg — who’d previously investigated sexual abuse in “Prophet’s Prey” and “Deliver Us from Evil,” for which she earned a 2007 Best Feature Documentary Oscar nomination — was unable to find a distributor. “An Open Secret” producer Gabe Hoffman claims the film was even accepted,...
- 10/26/2017
- by Jenna Marotta
- Indiewire
If HBO's Scientology documentary "Going Clear" is any indication, the American public is hungry for damning exposés on the Hollywood establishment. Enter "An Open Secret," a new documentary by Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg ("Deliver Us from Evil," "West of Memphis") that shines a light on the sexual exploitation of young boys in the entertainment industry. The film features interviews with such former child stars as Corey Feldman and Todd Bridges as well as Michael Egan III, the man who accused "X-Men" director Bryan Singer and several other high-ranking Hollywood figures of drugging and raping him when he was a teenager in the late 1990s (Egan's lawsuits were later dropped due to inconsistencies in his story). Coinciding with the trailer's release, the film's producers -- clearly anticipating that Egan's recent conviction for fraud and the withdrawal of his numerous lawsuits could potentially damage the film's credibility -- have released a statement...
- 5/7/2015
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
When "An Open Secret" premiered at Doc NYC, audiences and critics worried that no distributor would touch it. But the film has finally been picked up, by Rocky Mountain Pictures, for a 20-city Us theatrical release beginning June 5. The film will also play exclusively at the Cannes Market in an invite-only screening on May 19. Read More: Critics React to "An Open Secret" Championed by veteran documentary programmer Thom Powers, director Amy Berg's doc points at several industry figures involved in the sexual exploitation of male would-be child stars, including Marc Collins-Rector, founder of the youth-aimed web channel Digital Entertainment Network (Den), and child-actor manager Martin Weiss. Watch the trailer below. Read More: "West of Memphis" Director Amy Berg Talks New Evidence in Arkansas Case...
- 5/6/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Championed by veteran documentary programmer Thom Powers, Amy Berg's documentary exposé of Hollywood sex abuse "An Open Secret" finally world-premiered at the ongoing Doc NYC fest—to applause both muted and rapturous. The doc points at several industry figures involved in the sexual exploitation of male would-be child stars, including Marc Collins-Rector, founder of the youth-aimed web channel Digital Entertainment Network (Den), and child-actor manager Martin Weiss. But "An Open Secret," according to THR's review, doesn't blatantly wag its finger at the still-unraveling saga of Bryan Singer, whose own "hedonistic parties" are an example of such settings of teenage sex abuse. Read More: "West of Memphis" Director Amy Berg Talks New Evidence in Arkansas Case Oscar-nominated for her Catholic sex abuse doc "Deliver Us From Evil" (2006) and acclaimed for "West of Memphis" (2012), her deep-dive into Arkansas'...
- 11/17/2014
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Ansel Elgort would be happy to walk the streets in his underwear, Angel Haze and Ireland Baldwin are not best friends, where are the Lgbt cartoon characters?
We’ve now reached the point that tabloid outlets like RadarOnline are making up stuff about gay power couples just like they do straight couples. Their latest is that David Burtka is only allowing Neil Patrick Harris to do Hedwig for six months to keep the men from flirting with him. “At least in L.A. David is always around to make sure it never goes any further. And not to say certain guys haven’t become ‘friendly’ with David in New York too, but without each other around, it’s hard to resist other guys hitting on them.”
Io9 asks when are we going to get Lgbt characters in cartoons? And not adult cartoons like The Simpsons, but those universal cartoons made for Disney,...
We’ve now reached the point that tabloid outlets like RadarOnline are making up stuff about gay power couples just like they do straight couples. Their latest is that David Burtka is only allowing Neil Patrick Harris to do Hedwig for six months to keep the men from flirting with him. “At least in L.A. David is always around to make sure it never goes any further. And not to say certain guys haven’t become ‘friendly’ with David in New York too, but without each other around, it’s hard to resist other guys hitting on them.”
Io9 asks when are we going to get Lgbt characters in cartoons? And not adult cartoons like The Simpsons, but those universal cartoons made for Disney,...
- 6/29/2014
- by Ed Kennedy
- The Backlot
Michael Egan is not done suing Hollywood. Who it is exactly he's suing this time, however, remains a mystery. Egan, who in April sued “X-Men” director Bryan Singer for allegedly sexually abusing him starting in 1998, has thus far sued three other industry execs as well. In the new suit, Egan alleges that “John Doe” — whom he describes as a “Hollywood mogul” and former president of the Digital Entertainment Network (Den) — abused him over 30 times, starting when he was 15 years old at the M&C Estate of Marc Collins-Rector and Chad Shackley, a TV studio and the defendant's...
- 6/10/2014
- by Jordan Zakarin
- The Wrap
This story first appeared in the May 9 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. The wild parties were hardly a secret. During the mid- to late 1990s, as the Internet bubble was inflating, a wide swath of gay Hollywood flocked to the 12,616-square-foot Encino mansion that 40-something Marc Collins-Rector shared with Chad Shackley, a Michigan man in his mid-20s who had lived with Collins-Rector since dropping out of high school at 16; and Brock Pierce, a teenage actor who had appeared in Disney's The Mighty Ducks movies. Anticipating the day that programming would
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- 4/30/2014
- by Kim Masters, Jonathan Handel
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TMZ has obtained FBI documents detailing shocking allegations of sexual abuse involving minors and Hollywood types ... and it's simply shocking.As TMZ previously reported ... Michael Egan is suing "X-Men" director Bryan Singer for sexually assaulting him numerous times at a party at a mansion in Encino, CA. Singer denies it. Egan claims he went to the FBI in 2000 but sources tell us he Never complained about Singer.It appears, however, Egan Did complain about the...
- 4/21/2014
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
The FBI Did investigate sexual assault claims by the man who is now accusing "X-Men" director Bryan Singer of sexually molesting him in 1998 ... but he Never mentioned Singer ... this according to multiple sources close to the investigation.Michael Egan and his lawyer both said at a news conference Singer sexually abused him at a pool party in Encino, CA. when he was only 15. Egan also claims 3 other men abused him at the party. He sued...
- 4/19/2014
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
The 31-year-old man who is suing "X-Men" director Bryan Singer for allegedly sexually assaulting him in a swimming pool at a 1998 L.A. party claims he didn't remember the incident until recently ... yet he filed a lawsuit over the very same party in 2000 alleging sexual abuse against 3 other men and had a clear memory of what they did to him.Michael Egan claims in his new lawsuit Singer forced oral sex at the party when he was 15. He's very graphic,...
- 4/18/2014
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Well this is awkward. Bryan Singer— the openly gay director of such classics as The Usual Suspects, Apt Pupil and the first, second (and soon to be released fifth) X-Men film— has been accused in a lawsuit of sexually abusing a 17-year-old aspiring actor.
The lawsuit by now-adult plaintiff Michael Egan claims the director “manipulated his power, wealth, and position in the entertainment industry to sexually abuse and exploit the underage Plaintiff through the use of drugs, alcohol, threats, and inducements which resulted in Plaintiff suffering catastrophic psychological and emotional injuries. Defendant Singer did so as part of a group of adult males similarly positioned in the entertainment industry that maintained and exploited boys in a sordid sex ring.”
The timing of this filing, just before the release of X-Men: Days of Future Past on May 23, seems calculated to generate as much publicity and cause as much embarrassment as possible to Singer.
The lawsuit by now-adult plaintiff Michael Egan claims the director “manipulated his power, wealth, and position in the entertainment industry to sexually abuse and exploit the underage Plaintiff through the use of drugs, alcohol, threats, and inducements which resulted in Plaintiff suffering catastrophic psychological and emotional injuries. Defendant Singer did so as part of a group of adult males similarly positioned in the entertainment industry that maintained and exploited boys in a sordid sex ring.”
The timing of this filing, just before the release of X-Men: Days of Future Past on May 23, seems calculated to generate as much publicity and cause as much embarrassment as possible to Singer.
- 4/17/2014
- by Aaron Landry
- The Backlot
20th Century Fox
In an accusation that stretches back to the year 1999, it has been claimed that Hollywood director Bryan Singer, best known for his work on movies such as The Usual Suspects and the first two X-Men movies, sexually abused a teenage boy.
The Hollywood Reporter & Variety reports that Michael Egan, now 31, has accused the director of sodomising him when he was aged 17 in a suit that also claims assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy by unreasonable intrusion. Egan also stated that Singer gave him drugs and alcohol and flew him to Hawaii on multiple occassions.
“The claims made against Bryan Singer are completely without merit,” said Marty Singer, the director’s attorney. “We are very confident that Bryan will be vindicated.” He also said they were “absurd and defamatory,” whilst adding that “it is obvious that this case was filed in an attempt...
In an accusation that stretches back to the year 1999, it has been claimed that Hollywood director Bryan Singer, best known for his work on movies such as The Usual Suspects and the first two X-Men movies, sexually abused a teenage boy.
The Hollywood Reporter & Variety reports that Michael Egan, now 31, has accused the director of sodomising him when he was aged 17 in a suit that also claims assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy by unreasonable intrusion. Egan also stated that Singer gave him drugs and alcohol and flew him to Hawaii on multiple occassions.
“The claims made against Bryan Singer are completely without merit,” said Marty Singer, the director’s attorney. “We are very confident that Bryan will be vindicated.” He also said they were “absurd and defamatory,” whilst adding that “it is obvious that this case was filed in an attempt...
- 4/17/2014
- by WhatCulture
- Obsessed with Film
X-Men director Bryan Singer has been accused of sexually abusing a 17-year-old boy.
According to The Wrap, a lawsuit against the 48-year-old was filed in a federal court in Hawaii on Wednesday (April 16) relating to alleged incidents dating back to 1999.
The plaintiff Michael Egan was a model and aspiring actor at the time, and claims that he was subjected to drugs, alcohol and threats as part of a wider "group of adult males similarly positioned in the entertainment industry". Digital Entertainment Network chairman Marc Collins-Rector - a registered sex offender - is alleged to have initiated the sexual abuse.
Egan apparently met Singer at "notorious parties" in Encino, California where the director allegedly told him that M & C Estate residents "controlled Hollywood" and could decide whether his "career aspirations and hopes would be realised". Singer also allegedly witnessed Egan being warned to keep those men "happy" or risk putting himself and his family in danger.
According to The Wrap, a lawsuit against the 48-year-old was filed in a federal court in Hawaii on Wednesday (April 16) relating to alleged incidents dating back to 1999.
The plaintiff Michael Egan was a model and aspiring actor at the time, and claims that he was subjected to drugs, alcohol and threats as part of a wider "group of adult males similarly positioned in the entertainment industry". Digital Entertainment Network chairman Marc Collins-Rector - a registered sex offender - is alleged to have initiated the sexual abuse.
Egan apparently met Singer at "notorious parties" in Encino, California where the director allegedly told him that M & C Estate residents "controlled Hollywood" and could decide whether his "career aspirations and hopes would be realised". Singer also allegedly witnessed Egan being warned to keep those men "happy" or risk putting himself and his family in danger.
- 4/17/2014
- Digital Spy
Now this is the last thing I expected to write about tonight, but Variety is reporting a lawsuit was filed Wednesday in a Hawaii federal court alleging X-Men: Days of Future Past director Bryan Singer "forcibly sodomized" the plaintiff, Michael Egan, at the age of 17. Egan's name was published in a press release issued by his lawyer, alleging "Singer provided him with drugs and alcohol and flew him to Hawaii on more than one occasion in 1999." Age of consent in Hawaii is 16, but this isn't exactly a case of underage abuse. Variety reports his attorney confirmed Egan is seeking an unspecified amount in damages in the civil suit. The site also says registered sex offender, and former chairman of Digital Entertainment Network, Marc Collins-Rector, is also named in the lawsuit, accused of initiating the sexual abuse of Egan and arranging for Singer to assault Egan at a house in Encino,...
- 4/17/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
X-Men director Bryan Singer has been accused of sexually abusing former child model and aspiring actor Michael Egan III in the 1990s when the alleged victim was 17-years-old.
Bryan Singer Sued For Sexual Abuse
Egan, who filed the lawsuit on Wednesday, claims that Singer, 48, pressured him into sexual acts at parties in both California and Hawaii. In exchange for the sex acts, Egan was promised help in his career, including auditions for commercials and other acting jobs as well as modeling gigs, reported The Hollywood Reporter.
Though Egan names Singer as one of his abusers, claiming that he threatened him if he didn’t perform as requested and gave him drugs and alcohol, Egan says that it was tech entrepreneur Marc Collins-Rector who lured him into the sex ring that included other high-profile Hollywood men.
Egan is reportedly looking to receive $75,000 for each of his four claims – intentional infliction of emotional distress,...
Bryan Singer Sued For Sexual Abuse
Egan, who filed the lawsuit on Wednesday, claims that Singer, 48, pressured him into sexual acts at parties in both California and Hawaii. In exchange for the sex acts, Egan was promised help in his career, including auditions for commercials and other acting jobs as well as modeling gigs, reported The Hollywood Reporter.
Though Egan names Singer as one of his abusers, claiming that he threatened him if he didn’t perform as requested and gave him drugs and alcohol, Egan says that it was tech entrepreneur Marc Collins-Rector who lured him into the sex ring that included other high-profile Hollywood men.
Egan is reportedly looking to receive $75,000 for each of his four claims – intentional infliction of emotional distress,...
- 4/17/2014
- Uinterview
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