Director calls lawsuit against him a "shakedown"
By Anthony McCartney, Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --The director of the upcoming "X-Men" film has denied allegations contained in a lawsuit that he raped an aspiring actor and model in 1999 and called the claims a shakedown.
Bryan Singer wrote in a statement released Thursday that he was avoiding promotional events for his upcoming film "X-Men: Days of Future Past" to avoid distracting from the movie and the work of its actors and crew.
"The allegations against me are outrageous, vicious and completely false," Singer wrote. "I do not want these fictitious claims to divert any attention from 'X-Men: Days of Future Past.' "
The statement was released a week after Singer was sued in Hawaii by Michael Egan III, a former aspiring model and actor, who claims the director sexually abused him during a trip in Hawaii in 1999. Egan has said Singer abused him when he was as young as 15 years old at a home in Los Angeles, but his case only focused on the alleged abuse in Hawaii.
Singer's attorney Marty Singer has said the director wasn't in Hawaii when Egan claims he was abused.
"I promise when this situation is over, the facts will show this to be the sick twisted shakedown it is," Bryan Singer wrote in his statement.
Egan's attorney Jeff Herman said Singer's denials would not affect his pursuit of the case. "We have a good-faith belief in the allegations, and we will litigate this," Herman said.
Egan has also sued three other entertainment industry figures — two former television executives and a theater producer — for substantially similar claims.
"None of the defendants in Michael Egan's cases have admitted to abusing him," Herman said. "I've gotten other threats from the other lawyers, which I find interesting. I'm not deterred from bringing these cases forward."
The lawsuits were filed in Hawaii under a law that temporarily suspends the statute of limitations in civil sex-abuse cases. None of the men has been criminally charged, and the statute of limitations for any such charges has passed.
In order to file the cases, Egan had to be evaluated by a psychologist who signed a notarized "Certificate of Merit" that includes facts and opinions supporting an opinion that he was sexually abused and had a psychological or physical injury. The certificate detailing Egan's allegations against Singer has been filed under seal.
Egan claims he was lured into a sex ring run by a former digital entertainment company executive with promises of auditions for acting, modeling and commercial jobs. He was put on the company's payroll as an actor and forced to have sex with adult men at parties within Hollywood's entertainment industry, he says.
The Associated Press does not typically name victims of sex abuse, but it is naming Egan because he is speaking publicly about his allegations.
Nikki Baker Becomes CEO At Fallon
Fallon has appointed Nikki Baker as its new CEO. Baker, who joined the creative agency in 2018 and has served as co-chief creative officer with Leslie Shaffer since 2021, succeeds Rocky Novak, who has been in the role since 2019.
Baker’s promotion to CEO comes at a time of significant momentum for the agency, including six consecutive years of growth and award-winning work.
Baker’s recent career highlights include creatively leading the Walmart partnership with the Publicis Groupe team and spearheading innovative campaigns such as the award-winning “RomCommerce” 23-episodic series and the internet-breaking Mean Girls campaign, among hundreds of other campaigns together with the brand over the past few years. Together with Shaffer, Baker has also been instrumental in elevating Fallon’s creative output for longstanding clients like Arby’s, Mattress Firm, and Front Door/American Home Shield.
“I’ve always been an admirer of Fallon, even before I joined. The chance to lead the agency is an absolute honor. Fallon is a place like no other with amazing talent and a legacy of building big, innovative, creative ideas,” said Baker. “Rocky has represented the best of Fallon. He’s been a great leader, and I couldn’t be more excited to take the reins and lead the agency through to the next chapter. With creativity at our core, we’re going to be as ambitious as ever, push boundaries, and continue embracing emerging platforms to deliver work that truly resonates in culture.”
Prior to joining Fallon six years ago, Baker held positions as creative director and art director at agencies including DDB and GSD&M, working with major brands such as McDonald’s, Southwest Airlines, and Wrigley. Her work has been recognized by... Read More