Bryan Singer, 48, said in a statement that the allegations
are "outrageous, vicious and completely false."
Last week, Michael Egan, 31, accused Singer in a civil lawsuit
filed in federal court in Hawaii of drugging and raping him in
1999 in Hawaii and California. Egan, who was an aspiring teen
actor at the time, seeks unspecified damages.
"I promise when this situation is over, the facts will show this
to be the sick, twisted shakedown it is," Singer said in a
statement, adding that he would not participate in media events
for the film because it would be a distraction.
A message left for Egan's attorney on Thursday was not
immediately returned.
The lawsuit could overshadow the promotional rollout of Singer's
"X-Men: Days of Future Past," which is expected to be one of the
year's top grossing films.
The film is estimated to gross $108 million in its opening
weekend at the U.S. box office, according to BoxOffice.com.
The latest installment of the "X-Men" franchise stars Patrick
Stewart, Jennifer Lawrence and Hugh Jackman, and is distributed
by 20th Century Fox.
Singer's attorney had previously denied the allegations.
Egan has also sued three other entertainment industry executives
in Hawaii with sexually abusing him during that time. All three
have denied the accusations.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and
Mohammad Zargham)
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