Director denies sex allegations
A lawyer for “X-Men” franchise director Bryan Singer said Friday that credit card receipts, telephone records and production schedules from the first movie in the comic book series show that Singer wasn’t in Hawaii when a lawsuit claims he sexually abused a 17-year-old on the islands.
Singer’s lawyer, Marty Singer, told The Associated Press that the director was mainly in Toronto working on his first major studio film from August through October 1999, and never in Hawaii during that span. A lawsuit filed by a former child model, Michael Egan III, says Singer abused him several times over those three months as well as earlier in California as part of a Hollywood sex ring led by another man convicted of trafficking minors for sex.
“This was Bryan’s first studio film,” Marty Singer said. “Clearly, he’s not going to take a break in the middle of this movie while you’re shooting and prepping it to go to Hawaii.”
Egan’s lawyer, Jeff Herman, did not immediately respond to phone calls seeking comment.
Egan told reporters at a news conference Thursday that he was abused by
Spencer to co-host on ‘GMA’
ABC says it has promoted Lara Spencer to co-host status on “Good Morning America.”
Spencer, the lifestyle anchor since returning to the show in 2011, now has billing parity with Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos.
Elba welcomes first son
Idris Elba has welcomed a baby boy named Winston.
The actor tweeted Friday that his son was born Thursday, adding a photo of the baby’s tiny hand gripping his finger. Elba’s girlfriend, Naiyana Garth, gave birth.
It’s the second child for the star of “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.” The 41-year-old Elba also has an 11-year-old daughter from a previous relationship. Singer and others starting when he was 15. He said he was given drugs and promises of a Hollywood career while also being threatened and sexually abused in Los Angeles and Hawaii.
She was the show’s national correspondent from 1999 to 2004. Then, for seven years, she was a host of “The Insider.”
Her promotion comes as “GMA” continues to beat NBC’s “Today” show in the ratings, but after it recently lost two members of its team: Sam Champion and Josh Elliott.