X-Men Director Bryan Singer Accused of Sexually Abusing Underaged Boy

[tazber]

To clarify:

Singer has been throwing these parties with twinks for years.


Whether he has been plying them with drugs and coke and having sex with them all that time, forcibly or consensual, I don't know.

But I doubt that they sat around and played Parcheesi.

Plus, if you read the links one of them mentioned that there several more people who may be coming forward.

Regarding the consensual vs. forcible:

If you coerce a minor with your influence, promises of stardom, and drugs until they agree to have sex thereby making it consensual is it really "consensual"?

Legally that distinction has huge implications. But in real life, in this case, the line between the two seems very thin.

[CATSNYrevival]

But if you coerce a minor with your influence, promises of stardom, and drugs until they agree to have sex thereby making it consensual is it really "consensual"?

What about the times when the minor actively seeks out people of affluence in hopes of advancing their own career in film or media and then later cries rape? Is that consensual?

[beautywickedlover]

How awful for Singer to do this. He also probably did not want to get this publicity for the movie when it's released next month.

[Liza's Headband]

^ Of course all you think about is the movie. F*ck the x-men film franchise. He ruined it for me anyway.

[tazber]

My first thought was the movie too beautywickedlover.

I don't know these people, don't know what happened, and have no investment in their problems.

My comments and opinions are just my thoughts on the story. Plus, we don't know all the facts so to pass judgement at this point would be reactionary and narrow minded.

And I'm still going to see X-Men opening weekend.

[Liza's Headband]

Yeah. The first thing that popped into Singer's head was definitely "oh no! how will this negatively affect the publicity for my upcoming X-Men film?!"

[strummergirl]

"What about the times when the minor actively seeks out people of affluence in hopes of advancing their own career in film or media and then later cries rape?"

Dear lord. Rape is rape.

[tazber]

Are you comparing Singer's first thought as the person at the center of it all with mine?

I'm just a movie fan. As I said I have no investment in this other that it being a topic for discussion.

If not then I don't understand you're post.

[Reginald Tresilian]

"Rape is rape."

Yes it is. And statutory rape is rape. However, flying all over the world and having sex with a director on multiple occasions in the hopes of breaking into movies isn't necessarily forcible rape (though still, of course, statutory, if he was underage).

[strummergirl]

"Yeah. The first thing that popped into Singer's head was definitely "oh no! how will this negatively affect the publicity for my upcoming X-Men film?!""

Not about publicity but power and money. Were this to come more to light, especially given what X-Men represents in allegorical terms for a lot of people, an out gay director being associated with this film franchise with these kind of stories getting more attention would ruin him at least in terms of being at the creative helm of a popular movie franchise. 20th Century Fox has to be making X-Men films in order to keep the rights from Marvel/Disney. They'd dump Singer in a minute to keep the train going.

[Liza's Headband]

"Forcible" rape is not a real thing. As strummer aptly put it: rape is rape. By definition. Now if we're talking about classifications, that is different. There are plenty of those. Statutory, Corrective, War, Prison, etc.

[SonofRobbieJ]

"What about the times when the minor actively seeks out people of affluence in hopes of advancing their own career in film or media and then later cries rape?"

As an adult, I say the onus would be on me not to take advantage of a young person who may be trying something they'd later regret. Or maybe something their parent put them up to.

[Liza's Headband]

Yes, Robbie. You are right.

See: James Barbour

[Reginald Tresilian]

Robbie, I agree completely.

"Forcible" is used throughout the documents quoted.

[ClydeBarrow]

The reason that this is a civil and not criminal case is because the guy wants $$. I'm sure the timing of this was part of the strategy because they think the studio will brush it under the rug quicker to deflect negative attention away from Singer before opening.

I'm guessing these guys could do a lot worse than Singer.

[Addison D.]

I understand how people could find the timing of this young man's accusations to be questionable, and I certainly agree that repeatedly jetting off to Hawaii with someone does seem to diminish the credibility of his claim that he was forced into something.

I feel compelled to point out, though, that it can take time to gather the courage to come forward with an accusation of this type, especially if the alleged abuser is a person of Power.

I don't say that everyone who claims to be a victim of childhood sexual abuse is being truthful, but I DO think--no: I KNOW--that wide latitude must be given with regard to issues like the timing of such accusations.

The passage of many years between the alleged act and the accusation does not, per se, imply that the timing of the accusation has been "calculated" as part of a "strategy".

Again--I understand that sometimes there IS calculation and there IS a strategy, but it makes me uncomfortable to see people draw a conclusion based on the issue of timing.

[PalJoey]

We can all wish these cases were not tried in the court of public opinion but civil suits become public documents when they are filed.

Once they are made public, the press is allowed to report on them, as CNN does here:

Attorney Jeff Herman chose Hawaii to file the suit because the legislature there opened a window for two years allowing old sex abuse cases to be filed. The provision expires next week, Herman said.

The alleged sex abuse incidents detailed in the lawsuit happened in 1998 and 1999 when the plaintiff was 17, the suit said.

Most of the alleged sex abuse took place at parties at a California, mansion, the suit said.

Other incidents allegedly happened during two trips to Hawaii.

Individual citizens are within their rights to read news reports and draw conclusions, no matter how much those conclusions make us uncomfortable.

Only juries are required to maintain a presumption of innocence. And the press must use a word like "alleged" or "accused" unless there has been a conviction or a guilty plea.





'X-Men' director Bryan Singer targeted in teen sex abuse lawsuit

[beautywickedlover]

Liza's Headband thinks I do not care a thing about the young people that Singer might be doing these awful things to and that it just BS. If what they are saying is true than I have competely lost respect for Singer. He is a great director but the act of rape is just awful. The 'X-Men' movies were a HUGE part of my teenage years and they still are to this day. To hear that the man who brought them to life on the big-screen would do this makes me very disappointed. However, I've never met him and I will still go see the movie next month because I love the characters and their stories. Most of the actors who play them are brilliant.

[mikey2573]

I believe that Singer and other crew members were accused of telling underage extras to go completely naked in a shower scene in the movie APT PUPIL. The extras were told that there would be no shots below the waste, which made some of them wonder why they then needed to be naked. Apparently the scene took over 4 hours to shoot and the boys were naked most of that time. The lawsuit was dismissed due to lack of evidence and the scene was reshot with adults (18 +).

[Liza's Headband]

1997 EW report about the "Apt Pupil" lawsuit.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

[henrikegerman]

Tazber, as I made clear, I was merely asking a question to find out what you meant by done this before.

In no way was I saying that this "this" or that "this" was less heinous than the other. I just wanted to know what you were talking about.

[Tom1071]

"Attorney Jeff Herman chose Hawaii to file the suit because the legislature there opened a window for two years allowing old sex abuse cases to be filed. The provision expires next week, Herman said."

Jeff Herman was the attorney for the Kevin Clash lawsuits. These types of lawsuits seem to be his bread and butter. You have to wonder if he seeks these alleged victims out because he knows that there is an almost certain payday when the alleged perpetrator is a celebrity with money and a reputation to protect. Herman is based in Miami and Egan lives in Nevada. How did they get connected? Referral? Investigation based on the rumors of these parties to find victims?

[tazber]

Here are all the details from the complaint
Link

[CATSNYrevival]

That's difficult to read and it's not even the full details. I also didn't know that Collins-Rector had already been sentenced for allegations within the same time frame made by other boys. I wonder why Singer wasn't named in that suit, assuming he was involved at that point.

[sabrelady]

Singer and other crew members were accused of telling underage extras to go completely naked in a shower scene

The ONLY person on the crew who can give direction to extra's is the 1st A.D.
If the director speaks directly to an extra to give direction it moves them from mere "extra" status and ^ their salary/fee. No other crew would give any "direction" to extras.

But Mr. Singers behavior was obvious to anyone who worked on "Xmen" in Toronto. He'd tell all his boyfriend d nuit they'd get a job and the next day they showed @ the studio office for same. Once they realized a0 they were actually expected to work b0 Singer was on to his next- they never lasted. AND since they were on payroll w SIN's and all, their true ages were known- and yes many were at best borderline.
But- as I learned repeatedly- "whatever it takes to get the shot"- or complete the film.