Bryan Singer, Gary Goddard face 2nd lawsuit from new accuser

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Sunday, May 4, 2014
Singer, Goddard sued again by new accuser
A new lawsuit has been filed accusing Hollywood executives Bryan Singer and Gary Goddard of sexually abusing a British teen.

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A second lawsuit has been filed accusing X-Men director Bryan Singer and producer Gary Goddard of sexually abusing a British teenager who dreamed of becoming an actor.

The suit claims the assaults occurred in England, but were orchestrated by Singer and Goddard in California. Attorneys for both parties strongly deny the new allegations.

The suit alleges Goddard met the teen on social media in 2003 when he was 14 years old, and had sex with him two years later while in England on a trip. Singer is accused of sexually assaulting the teen after taking him to a "Superman" premiere and after-party in London.

The suit claims Singer and Goddard took him to a hotel room. "Once in the bedroom, Singer and Goddard started grabbing John Doe in a sexual manner. John Doe told them to stop and that this made him feel very uncomfortable. Goddard then left the room and returned with a large, musclebound man," the lawsuit reads.

The large man then allegedly hit the teen and held him while Singer touched the then-17-year-old.

"Defendant Goddard was present and aided and abetted Singer, such that Plaintiff was forced by Singer to engage in sexual acts," the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit was filed by Jeff Herman, the same attorney who filed four other suits last month against Singer, Goddard and several other Hollywood executives claiming they sexually abused child actor Michael Egan when he was a teen.

Egan claims he was lured into a sex ring run by a former digital entertainment company executive with promises of auditions for acting, modeling and commercial jobs. He said he was abused between the ages of 15 and 17 and was threatened to keep quiet.

Egan, now 31, says memories repressed for 15 years are now coming back. Forced sex at hot tub parties in Encino and repeated assaults in Hawaii are the centerpiece of his lawsuit against Singer; Garth Ancier, a media executive who programmed broadcasting for television networks Fox, The WB (now The CW) and NBC Entertainment; Goddard, the head of a design firm in Los Angeles and producer of off-Broadway shows; and David Neuman, a former television executive with Current TV and Disney.

Singer's attorney, Martin Singer, calls the accusations totally untrue.

"After the substance of Mr. Herman's previous defamatory and fabricated filing in Hawaii was disproved based on unassailable evidence, Mr. Herman's desperation has led him to fabricate these new anonymous accusations against Mr. Singer, which we will also prove to be completely false," he said.

Goddard's lawyer, Alan Grodin of Weintraub Tobin, says "the allegations made against Mr. Goddard are vehemently denied and will be vigorously defended at any trial of these matters and Mr. Goddard is entirely confident he will be fully vindicated."

Herman is scheduled to hold a press conference Monday to discuss his latest lawsuit.