Bryan Singer to Pay $150,000 to Resolve Rape Claim
Director Bryan Singer has agreed to pay $150,000 to resolve allegations that he raped a 17-year-old boy in 2003.
Cesar Sanchez-Guzman filed a lawsuit in December 2017 in which he alleged that the director had sexually assaulted him during a yacht party in Seattle. Sanchez-Guzman claimed that Singer performed oral sex on him against his will, and anally penetrated him. Singer denied the allegations.
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In a filing on Wednesday, a bankruptcy trustee recommended that the court approve a $150,000 settlement with Singer.
Sanchez-Guzman filed for bankruptcy in 2014, and the case was discharged. The bankruptcy trustee reopened the case in 2018, on the grounds that Sanchez-Guzman’s claim against Singer had not been listed among his assets, and that any proceeds should be available to his creditors.
The trustee, Nancy James, reached the settlement agreement with Singer’s attorneys. In her filing, James notes that Singer’s attorneys have argued that Sanchez-Guzman’s claims should be barred by the statute of limitations. She also notes that no evidence has been produced showing that Singer attended the yacht party.
“The trustee has determined that those issues favor settlement,” James’ attorney wrote.
In a statement, Singer’s attorney Andrew Brettler said that the director maintains his innocence.
“The debtor filed a claim against Mr. Singer that he had no basis or legal right to file,” Brettler said. “Mr. Singer has denied even knowing this individual, let alone allegedly having interacted with him more than 15 years ago. The decision to resolve the matter with the bankruptcy trustee was purely a business one, as litigation costs would well exceed the amount requested by the trustee to pay off the creditors who were owed money when the debtor filed for bankruptcy.”
Under the terms of the agreement, $61,000 would go to creditors. The bulk of those claims represent student loan debt, which is not dischargeable in bankruptcy. Additional funds will be used to pay for administration of the case. Sanchez-Guzman will end up with the remainder.
“There should be at least nominal funds being returned to the debtor as surplus at the end of the case,” James’ attorney wrote, adding that he will also benefit from having his student loans paid off. “The settlement will relieve the debtor of a significant nondischargeable debt.”
If the settlement is approved, Sanchez-Guzman’s lawsuit will be dismissed with prejudice.
The suit was filed shortly after Singer was fired as the director of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” More recently, Millennium Films had hired Singer to direct “Red Sonja,” but plans to shoot the film in Bulgaria this year were canceled.
In January, the Atlantic published allegations of sexual misconduct involving four teenage boys. Singer’s attorneys have consistently denied that he engaged in sex with underage boys, and disputed many aspects of the accusers’ accounts.
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