A lawsuit filed Saturday in a U.S. District Court in California accuses director Bryan Singer and producer Gary Goddard of sexually abusing a teenage boy in a London hotel room in 2006 after the premiere of Superman Returns.
Representatives for Singer and Goddard heatedly denied the allegations, which were first reported by The Daily Beast. The new suit follows an earlier lawsuit naming both men and making similar allegations, which both men also denied. The same lawyer, Jeff Herman, represents both plaintiffs.
Singer's lawyer, Marty Singer, called the lawsuit "just totally untrue" and accused Herman of "fabricat[ing] these new anonymous accusations against Mr. Singer."
"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 that he will be fully vindicated," his lawyer, Alan Grodin, said. "It is a sad indictment on society that when once spurious claims making false, serious, and highly damaging allegations have been made — especially where compensation is sought — that other similar claims may follow."
The new complaint alleges a teenage boy, identified only as John Doe No. 117, lived in the United Kingdom and was 14 when he was contacted by Goddard in about 2003 over social media. Goddard told the boy he had "good looks" and could be an actor, and Goddard said he knew people in Los Angeles and London who could help the boy with an acting career, including Singer, according to the suit.
The plaintiff demands unspecified damages.
Goddard sent the boy gifts and convinced him to send nude photos and video of himself, and the two also engaged in a nude webcam session, according to the suit; he allegedly raped the boy when the boy was 16.
The suit alleges that Singer plied the boy with drugs and alcohol and invited him to his to see Superman Returns memorabilia.
The complaint states that once in the room, Goddard and Singer allegedly tried to grab the boy in a sexual manner, which the boy said made him uncomfortable. Goddard allegedly then brought in a man the suit described as "musclebound" to "smack" the boy around and help Singer undress him, and then coerced the boy into a sex act.