'Bohemian Rhapsody' Director Bryan Singer Accused of Sexually Assaulting Four Underage Boys

Four men have accused fired Bohemian Rhapsody director Bryan Singer of sexual misconduct and assault while they were underage

Four more men have accused fired Bohemian Rhapsody director Bryan Singer of sexual misconduct and assault while they were underage.

In a lengthy report by The Atlantic, the four speak out against the X-Men director, claiming he seduced and had sex with them while they were underage — one as young as 13.

The article was published in the wake of Bohemian Rhapsody being nominated for multiple Oscars including Best Picture and crossing over $800 million at the worldwide box office.

Singer’s lawyer Andrew Brettler told The Atlantic that the director categorically denies ever having sex with, or a preference for, underage men. The lawyer also noted that Singer has never been arrested for or charged with any crime.

Victor Valdovinos, who says he worked as an extra in Singer’s 1997 film Apt Pupil, claims the director “grabbed my genitals and started masturbating it” when he was 13 and they were filming a locker room scene. Singer had reportedly been shooting the movie at Valdovinos’ school. He claims Singer asked him to appear in the film after they first met in the school bathroom.

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Three other men, all under pseudonyms, allege Singer seduced them during parties at his Beverly Hills mansion in the late ’90s — two when they were 17, and one when he was 15.

A fifth man quoted in the story, Cesar Sanchez-Guzman, previously filed a lawsuit against Singer in 2017 after alleging the director raped him on a yacht in 2003 when he was 17. In a statement through his lawyers, Singer previously said he “categorically denies these allegations and will vehemently defend this lawsuit to the very end.”

In response to the article, Singer said to PEOPLE in a statement: “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.”

The writers of The Atlantic article, Maximillian Potter and Alex French, responded in a statement released on Twitter, saying, “We are most grateful that the alleged victims now have a chance to be heard and we hope the substance of their allegations remains the focus.”

Singer previously faced multiple accusations of sexual misconduct. In 2014, aspiring model and actor Michael Egan filed a civil suit against the director, claiming he forced him into sex during parties in California and Hawaii in the late 1990s.

The director’s attorney at the time, Martin Singer (no relation to the director), called the lawsuit “absurd and defamatory.” Singer provided evidence that he was not in Hawaii at the time and the suit was ultimately dropped.

Later in 2014, a second accuser filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against Singer. When he was 17, the man claimed in the lawsuit, Singer fondled him and tried to force him to have sex. Singer vehemently denied the allegations.

A Los Angeles court accepted Singer’s motion to dismiss on the grounds that there was no legal basis for the suit, and that it was improperly brought.

Singer was fired from Bohemian Rhapsody in 2017 near the end of filming for allegedly being “unexpectedly unavailable” for several days on set. He is still credited as director and thanked the Golden Globes earlier this month for the best motion picture, drama award the movie won.