'X-Men: Days of Future Past' director Bryan Singer denies sexual abuse claims

NEW YORK, April 17 (UPI) -- Director Bryan Singer denies claims that he sexually abused Michael Egan III in the late 1990s.

Egan, now in his 30s, filed a suit in Hawaii Wednesday that accuses Singer of raping him when he was 15 years old. The plaintiff was an aspiring actor at the time, and says that the director plied him with drugs, alcohol and promises of film roles. Egan alleges that the two had multiple sexual encounters while he was between the ages of 15 and 17.

"The stories that I've heard of what went on ... are truly despicable," Egan's lawyer Jeff Herman tells the NY Daily News.

Singer has denied the charges through his lawyer, Marty Singer, no relation.

"It is obvious that this case was filed in an attempt to get publicity," the attorney says. "The claims made against Bryan Singer are completely without merit. We are very confident that Bryan will be vindicated in this absurd and defamatory lawsuit."

Singer has served as director on 15 films, including The Usual Suspects, X-Men and Valkyrie. His latest movie, X-Men: Days of Future Past, will debut in theaters on May 23.

[NY Daily News]