Bryan Singer, ‘X-Men’ Director, in the Hot Seat

Bryan SingerOne of Hollywood’s most bankable directors and producers faces a lawsuit for molesting a teenager 16 years ago.

‘X-Men’ director Bryan Singer is accused of sexually abusing Michael Egan when he was 15 years old. In the civil suit filed in U.S. District Court in Hawaii on Wednesday, Egan, now 31, stated that the director promised him a role in one of the ‘X-Men’ movies if he gave in to his sexual desires. Egan further accused Singer of threatening to destroy his budding career if he refused to submit himself. The alleged incidents took place in 1998 and 1999 at parties hosted at an Encino, California mansion and during two trips to Hawaii.

The suit stated that Singer allegedly offered Egan acting roles in an ‘X-Men’ film, appearance in commercials, and opportunities to audition for roles and projects in others’ productions. It also said that the director gave Egan drugs, pain pills and alcoholic beverages during those molestation incidents.

Egan appeared with his attorney, Jeff Herman, at a news conference in Beverly Hills on Thursday.

“I was a piece of meat,” Egan told reporters.

He also claimed that after the FBI declined to help him, he gave up on his dream of becoming an actor, burying it instead to himself “as deeply as I possibly could.” Since then, Egan said he resorted to drinking “to numb the pain.” He became sober two years ago and submitted to a trauma therapy program to help him cope with the ordeal.

The FBI spokeswoman in Los Angeles, however, did not confirm or deny Egan’s claim that the agency failed to investigate his case.

Singer’s representative, meanwhile, dismissed the accusations as being without merit, saying that the case was filed only to get public attention at the time when Singer’s new movie is set to open in a few weeks.

Singer’s next film, “X-Men: Days of Future Past” is scheduled for release in theaters on May 23.

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