breaking news
Bryan Singer insists he never laid a finger on the man accusing the "X-Men" director of raping him as a 15-year-old -- but he's not about to squander a perfectly good publicity opportunity for his new movie.
Bryan released a statement, saying, "The allegations against me are outrageous, vicious and completely false," immediately adding, "I do not want these fictitious claims to divert ANY attention from X-Men: Days of Future Past."
As we reported, 31-year-old Michael Egan filed lawsuits against Singer, Broadway producer Gary Goddard, TV producer Garth Ancier, and former president of Disney TV David Neuman -- claiming they sexually abused him as a young teen at various Hollywood parties and in Hawaii.
Singer has remained silent longer than the other three -- and only today spoke out, condemning the allegations ... but not without promoting "X-Men: Days of Future Past" in the process.
Singer's statement continues, "This fantastic film is a labor of love and one of the greatest experiences of my career. So, out of respect to all of the extraordinary contributions from the incredibly talented actors and crew involved, I've decided not to participate in the upcoming media events for the film."
Singer concludes, "I promise when this situation is over, the facts will show this to be the sick twisted shake down it is."