Decades of rumors, accusations, and lawsuits surrounding Bryan Singer’s alleged abuse have finally been laid bare in an investigation by The Atlantic.
The article reveals multiple accounts of men who claim they were victimized by the Bohemian Rhapsody director, many of whom were underage at the time of the assaults.
Authors Alex French and Maximillian Potter paint a portrait of Singer as a troubled man who surrounded himself with vulnerable teenage boys.
One of these young victims, Victor Valdovinos, shares his story of being molested by Singer while working as an extra on the director’s film Apt Pupil.
Valdovinos ponders how his life would have turned out differently had he not experienced this trauma.
He remained silent for years, fearing that his accusations would not be believed.
Singer gained notoriety in gay Hollywood for hosting pool parties filled with young men who appeared to be high school students.
Ben, who uses a pseudonym, recounts his encounter with Singer when he was 17 or 18 years old.
He describes Singer as predatory, using alcohol and drugs to manipulate and engage in non-consensual s**ual acts.
However, Ben clarifies that it was not a situation of physical force.
The article delves into Digital Entertainment Network (DEN), a company Singer was involved with, which supposedly produced entertainment for gay teens.
Instead, it allegedly served as a platform for Hollywood executives to exploit teenage boys.
Singer, along with Marc Collins-Rector and Chad Shackley, purchased a mansion in Encino that became a notorious party house known as the M&C estate.
Here, young boys were allegedly plied with alcohol and drugs, making them easy targets for assault.
DEN even rented a movie theater exclusively for teenagers to watch pornographic films.
Andy, who met Collins-Rector at the age of 14, details his s**ual relationship with him.
At 15, Singer had s** with Andy in front of actor Brad Renfro, claiming Renfro was his boyfriend.
This seems to be a recurring pattern in Singer’s alleged predatory behavior: luring teenagers with promises of fame, fortune, and fun before exploiting them s**ually and reminding them of their powerlessness.
Eric shares his experience of being used as a “party favor” between Singer and his associates.
He was 17 when Singer had s** with him, and later leveraged his relationship with the director for an internship that launched his Hollywood career.
Eric emphasizes the importance of adults looking out for children and rejects the victim label, though he spent a decade in therapy grappling with the impact of what happened.
Michael Egan claims he was assaulted at the M&C estate from the age of 15 and was later raped by Singer in Hawaii.
His case against the director and his associates collapsed due to inconsistencies in his memory and subsequent legal issues.
Exploiting victims’ trauma symptoms has become a common defense strategy to undermine credibility.
During the filming of Bohemian Rhapsody, Singer faced a lawsuit from Cesar Sanchez-Guzman, who accused him of rape in 2003.
After the alleged assault, Singer approached Sanchez-Guzman with a grotesque smile, asserting that nobody would believe him.
Rami Malek, the Oscar-nominated star of Bohemian Rhapsody, expressed unawareness of the allegations against Singer and hopes audiences can still appreciate the film without diminishing Freddie Mercury’s story.
However, the question remains: What about the pain endured by these men who were seduced, discarded, manipulated, and brutalized?
Can a few accolades justify their suffering?
In an update, Deadline shares a message from Singer’s representative, refuting The Atlantic’s story as a rehash of claims from disreputable individuals seeking money or attention.
The director suggests the article is a homophobic smear piece taking advantage of Bohemian Rhapsody’s success.
