A 17-year-old boy was sexually assaulted on a yacht in Seattle in 2003, says the lawsuit filed in Seattle on Thursday. The Hollywood producer denies the allegations.
Bryan Singer, who directed “Superman Returns” and several “X-Men” movies, was accused in a lawsuit Thursday of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old boy at a Seattle party 14 years ago.
In his lawsuit, Cesar Sanchez-Guzman said he first met Singer at the 2003 party, which took place on a wealthy tech-investor’s yacht in Seattle.
Singer gave Sanchez-Guzman a tour of the boat, and while showing him the master bedroom, Singer shut the door behind them and demanded sex from Sanchez-Guzman, according to the lawsuit.
After the teenager refused, the lawsuit says, Singer pushed him on the bed and sexually assaulted him.
“Later, Bryan Singer approached Cesar and told him that he was a producer in Hollywood and that he could help Cesar get into acting as long as Cesar never said anything about the incident,” according to the lawsuit, which was filed in King County Superior Court. “He then told Cesar that no one would believe him if he ever reported the incident, and that he could hire people who are capable of ruining someone’s reputation.”
A representative for Singer said he “categorically denies these allegations and will vehemently defend this lawsuit to the very end.” He added, “Once Bryan prevails, he will pursue his own claims for malicious prosecution.”
The lawsuit does not say whether Sanchez-Guzman or anyone else reported the allegations to the police.
Seattle attorney Michael Pfau, one of Sanchez-Guzman’s lawyers, said Friday his client didn’t report the incident to police in 2003. It’s not uncommon for victims not to report abuse, Pfau noted.
Sanchez-Guzman, who no longer lives in the Seattle area, contacted Jeffrey Hermann, a Miami attorney, about the case earlier this year, Pfau said.
“He’s just beginning to explore his understanding of how this (abuse) affected him,” Pfau added.
If you need help
News reports of sexual-assault allegations could be a trigger for victims and survivors of abuse. Here are some resources:- The King County Sexual Assault Resource Center offers a 24-hour resource line (888-998-6423). Additionally, KCSARC can help connect people with therapy, legal advocates and family services (kcsarc.org/gethelp).
- UW Medicine’s Center for Sexual Assault & Traumatic Stress (depts.washington.edu/hcsats) offers resources, including counseling and medical care. For immediate help, call 206-744-1600.
- For readers outside King County, the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs lists 38 Washington state providers that offer free services. (wcsap.org/find-help)
- RAINN: Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network provides a free, confidential hotline (800-656-4673) and online chat (hotline.rainn.org) with trained staff members.
Singer was fired in recent days from directing “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a film about the British rock band Queen, after he failed to return to the set after Thanksgiving. A representative for him said he was dealing with a “personal health matter.”
In 2014, two other men accused Singer of sexual assault. Michael Egan sued Singer, claiming the director abused him when he was a teenager during parties in California and Hawaii. That lawsuit fell apart after Egan refused to sign a $100,000 settlement and his lawyer dropped him. (Singer maintained his innocence.) In an unrelated matter, Egan was later indicted on a charge of investment fraud and sentenced to two years in prison.
“To suggest because one of his accusers didn’t tell the truth means all of his accusers aren’t telling the truth is a bit of an overreach,” Pfau said. “I can tell you that our client has a very credible story to tell.”
Another Singer accuser, a British man, claimed that the director fondled him as a 17-year-old in 2006 before allegedly trying to force him into having sex. That anonymous accuser also alleged abuse by Hollywood executive Gary Goddard, who has since been accused of molestation by actor Anthony Edwards and another former child actor. Singer and Goddard both denied the allegations, and the man eventually voluntarily dismissed the case.