Film director Singer denies ‘new’ sex assault allegations

THE director of the Oscar-nominated Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody has angrily denied accusations of sexually abusing and raping young boys, describing a report in a US magazine as a rehashed “homophobic smear piece” and “vendetta journalism”.

Bryan Singer, 53, has been bedevilled by accusations since he rose to fame 20 years ago, directing the Oscarwinning film The Usual Suspects.

He was fired from Bohemian Rhapsody in November, just before the end of filming, amid accusations of a feuding cast and crew and absent director.

Three days later Cesar Sanchez-guzman alleged Singer raped him in 2003, when Sanchez-guzman was 17. Singer has been conspicuously absent from promoting Bohemian Rhapsody, and last week The Atlantic published a 10,000-word article alleging further sexual offences made by unnamed men allegedly under age at the time.

Singer said the story, picked up and then dropped by Esquire, was rehashed, false and timed to discredit his film. He said it was written “by a homophobic journalist who has a bizarre obsession with me”. Although Esquire dropped “this piece of vendetta journalism”, it was sold to The Atlantic. He said he regretted the magazine would “stoop this low”. The journalist claimed he had spoken to 50 sources for his story.

♦ Harvey Weinstein has hired a new legal team to defend him at his trial on May 7 on counts of sexual assault and rape after the disgraced film producer parted ways with his previous lawyer.