Things are definitely getting nastier between Bryan Singer’s attorney Marty Singer (no relation) and lawyer Jeff Herman, who’s representing client Michael Egan in his sexual assault charges against the out X-Men: Days Of Future Past director.
Marty Singer goes on the attack in a strongly worded letter to Herman secured by reporters at The Hollywood Reporter just days after Herman filed another lawsuit against Bryan Singer and theatre producer Gary Goddard on behalf of an as yet unnamed actor from the U.K.
Marty Singer calls the lawsuit itself “frivolous” and “meritless” before really letting Herman have it:
“You seek to preen for the media in an effort to solicit new clients, ultimately looking for a payday for yourself. You have now resorted to lying to the public concerning your actions…On behalf of Mr. Singer, I am hereby demanding that you immediately dismiss, with prejudice, the Egan lawsuit and refrain from refiling the ‘John Doe’ lawsuit that you filed against him. If you fail to do so, then you will be exposed to significant liability.”
The Hollywood Reporter notes that the letter also complains about the fact that Herman filed in Hawaii without contacting Singer and his reps to determine whether or not there was evidence of the alleged assault, seemingly vindicating Herman’s earlier interview with The Daily Beast in which he claimed that Singer and his reps would have probably preferred to settle.
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For his part, Herman seems fairly nonplussed by the turn of events, and tells the Reporter that such attacks are par for the course:
“This is a critical time in these cases because this is when I typically see the strongest pushback. I have a good-faith belief in the merits of their claim, and I will not be deterred by threats or bullying in my quest to shine a light on this darkness and seek justice for victims.”
Herman promises that there are more lawsuits of this nature to come with both male and female victims.
We’ll keep you updated with more on this story as it develops.
Pistolo
Singer’s lawyer is right and Queerty as well as other gay outlets should’ve been on it from the very start of these accusations. This is a classic example of heterosexism and homophobia, any director or actor in Hollywood can land little buxoms fresh out of highschool the day after their 18’th birthday to ZERO scrutiny. A director can MARRY HIS LONGTIME GIRLFRIEND’S DAUGHTER who is basically his own daughter (one of which he very well may have molested) and still manage to be defended but other gay men turn on Bryan Singer the second these accusations drop? In spite of evidence that tears up the accusations like tissue paper?
Singer has a penchant for twinks, big deal. It’s not exactly a new thing for older men to seek out a younger, nubile, fit sexual partner and still not be considered a pedophile. It’s pretty much commonplace. I’d be willing to bet you more than half of the editors, journalists, and commenters on this story in the gay press have jerked off to 19 year olds on Sean Cody or Randy Blue. But because a few old queens say they heard someone who knows someone say they think they saw Bryan Singer with a younger man he’s suddenly a pedophile.
Pedophilia and exploitation of minors is a serious and under-acknowledged issue…that doesn’t mean there needs to be a witchhunt for anyone we feel like targeting based on petty contempt and hearsay.
Tookietookie123
@Pistolo: So are you saying just because he has a penchant for twinks and so does the majority of Hollywood we should dismiss this case altogether even though it has a possibility of being true? I hate when people get dragged under the bus on the assumption that they’re assumed to be after money or fame when everyone knows that pedophilia is rampant amongst the Hollywood elite and nobody has done anything because nobody would believe you. I’m not saying we should kill Bryan Singer, but I’m saying this case should be seen through until someone he is found innocent or guilty, that’s kind of how our legal system works.
robirob
@Pistolo: Pistolo, is it legal to host parties where the party guests are given easy access to illegal drugs and party guest younger than 21 being served alcohol?
Is there a particular law that states that if others do it, too it’s no longer illegal?
If everybody is jummping off a bridge … ?
If someone is legal on paper, but looks prepubescent, is it right or wrong to be creeped about it when older men are lusting after that someone because of the way he looks?
Jonathan26
@Pistolo: Well-said. However, if boys as young as 14 were involved as has been claimed, that’s another thing altogether. We must believe that the lawyer isn’t stupid enough to take such a high profile case without absolute confidence in the merits of the case. To file a frivolous lawsuit against such powerful men would be career suicide for Herman & given that it looks like Singer would’ve settled the case privately, its unlikely. It seems to me an argument can be made that Singer’s attorneys are throwing everything they’ve got at him now while the battle is being fought in the press and not the courtroom just yet. Discrediting one’s opponent early is a pretty common legal strategy. All that needs to happen is that more of these kids come forward and Singer and his collective crew of chicken hawks’ collective goose’s will be cooked.
Spike
I would agree with the first comment that this is about heterosexism and homophobia.
jar
@Pistolo: There are many contradictions inherent in your comment. You say that pedophilia is a problem that should be dealt with, but then you rail against actually doing something about it in this case.
You’re also very short on facts. These allegations do not relate to young men of legal age. They relate to minors. They also involve powerful people using their power to intimidate non-adults. I thought you were opposed to this, no?
I also don’t know what you agree with in the lawyer’s statements. His only argument is, it’s not fair! Well, that’s why we have courts- to settle disputes like this. Finally, I find the lawyer’s whinge that Herman did not approach them to try to settle very telling. You can’t complain out of one side of your mouth that this is all a deceitful witch hunt and then complain out of the other side that he wasn’t given an opportunity to make it go away quietly. There’s a logical inconsistency there. Is that what you agree with?
xzall
@jar: Just a couple of points. In both cases filed against Singer, the age of the defendants were 17 years old at the time of the acts he’s accused of. In Hawaii 17 is the age of consent and in the UK 16 is the age of consent.
Secondly, Queerty’s story is misleading. The lawyer Marty Singer did not want to settle with Herman. He’s saying if Herman had contacted him before filing the lawsuit, he would have informed him that Singer was not in Hawaii at the time of the alleged incident and therefore the lawyer would have known there was no case and he wouldn’t have filed the lawsuit.
I saw Herman on TMZ live explaining why he’s held press conferences (which is highly unusual). One of the reasons is he said it’s because it’s a he said he said case with not a lot of hard evidence to support it and he’s doing the press conference as a way to get others to come forward and to corroborate the story. That does sound to me like someone looking for publicity, luck or to embarrass any one of the defendants into settling, That’s why he filed 4 separate lawsuits and had 3 press conferences already.
Billy Budd
Singer is a VICTIM. I always said so. He is being harassed and blackmailed. It is the accusing lawyer and the has been call boy who should go to jail.
Alan down in Florida
With all due respect there was no pedophilia here at all. The young men involved in this accusation were 17. At worst at that age there may have been ephebophilia but not pedophilia which requires a child.
Mezaien
So far %89 serial killers in the USA were white heterosexuals.
Cam
@xzall: said…
” Just a couple of points. In both cases filed against Singer, the age of the defendants were 17 years old at the time of the acts he’s accused of. In Hawaii 17 is the age of consent…..
___________________
Except for one major problem. The Mann Act, a Federal Law that says if you take somebody across state lines for sexual purposes it is illegal. Taking somebody from CA. where 17 is not the age of consent to Hawaii where it is is a complete violation of that, and if the kid was 17 Singer’s biggest problem isn’t the civil suit, it will be if the Feds get involved.
jmmartin
It might be amusing to some — in particular the Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse crowd — to see this attorney dis a colleague for bringing what Singer claims a frivolous lawsuit. However, Singer’s attorney needs to re-read the Code of Ethics and see that he is flaunting contempt for one in particular. While some lawyer-on-lawyer criticism in the media is usually tolerated by state bar associations, accusations of impropriety by another lawyer in the case being litigated is decidedly not.
On the other hand, the county Republican chair was getting on the elevator in my building the other day and started to tell me a joke, got off, turned and asked, “You’re not a lawyer are you?” Before he could get away I assured him I had heard every lawyer joke and found them highly amusing. So he finished: “We had a lawyer caught between floors of that elevator the other day. You know what you call that?” I offered: “A start.” He realized I had heard all the jokes, but I told it better. It was, what do you call a party boat with fifty lawyers aboard, sinking in the Gulf of Mexico?”
sfbeast
Luckily, I am not reading every single detail about this case. However, if someone, young person or adult, is abused by a boss or at a party, you don’t go back for more. You file a complaint at that time. Going back for more and more and more, and then waiting 10 or whatever years just means you are looking for money.
Cam
@sfbeast:
Yes, because there has never been an employee that say…complained, was fired, called a liar and got nothing was there?
Or somebody who was fed drugs as a child, had sex with older people, and then realized later on just how wrong what happened to them was.
etc…
Stache99
@Alan down in Florida: I believe the abuse started when he was 15.
DK
@Billy Budd: Yeah, a victim who plied teenagers with drugs and booze. *rolls eyes*
@Pistolo: “This is a classic example of heterosexism and homophobia, any director or actor in Hollywood can land little buxoms fresh out of highschool the day after their 18?th birthday to ZERO scrutiny. A director can MARRY HIS LONGTIME GIRLFRIEND’S DAUGHTER who is basically his own daughter (one of which he very well may have molested) and still manage to be defended but other gay men turn on Bryan Singer the second these accusations drop?”
Actually, Singer manages to be defended too, by the same trashy morons who defend Woody Allen. But nice attempt to gloss over the fact that Woody Allen’s name is rightfully mud with most of the public.
Singer is not in trouble because he is gay. He is in trouble because he prefers to have sex with teenagers not adults. That’s not a gay thing, outside of your weekly NAMBLA meeting.
Singer didn’t marry an 18 year old. He is accused of having sex with underage boys after giving them drugs and alcohol. So your analogy, fake outrage, and gay card makes no send.
FStratford
@robirob:
I dont agree with your last statement saying, “If someone is legal on paper, but looks prepubescent, is it right or wrong to be creeped about it when older men are lusting after that someone because of the way he looks?”
Yes it is wrong to be creeped out because someone looks young. There is nothing wrong if its legal. Nothing. Not morally. Not legally. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.
toberlin
The conclusion to me in that law case is that there are a lot of people queer or straight who are pretty happy and grateful that Hollywood is not setting the legal and ethical standarts in the USA or Western Europe.