Bryan Singer's former assistant has accused him of a "traumatising" and emotionally abusive romantic relationship.
Bryan Singer's lawyer has denied the allegations
Blake Stuerman - who met the 'X-Men' and 'Bohemian Rhapsody' filmmaker in 2009 when he was 18 and the director was 43 - has made allegations about the nature of their relationship, which ended after he was fired as his assistant in June 2013.
In an essay for Variety, Stuerman alleged: "Up until a few years ago, I still defended Bryan in private.
"If someone brought up the rumours of his alleged behaviour, I would deny them. It wasn’t until I began receiving treatment specifically for abuse and PTSD that I accepted what had actually happened.
“I am a victim of abuse by a very powerful, very wealthy and very sick man. I am a victim of Bryan Singer.”
He claimed he would often visit Singer's home for a movie night where it was allegedly "expected that [they would] have sex".
He added: "It was then expected that we’d have sex or, at the very least, I would masturbate with him...
"He would get very frustrated if I fell asleep before he was finished."
Stuerman also claimed he was "traumatised" after allegedly seeing Singer - who denied the allegations - assault someone at his home almost a decade ago.
He said: "I heard loud yelling coming toward me. When I turned, I saw Bryan charging toward us screaming very angrily.
"He violently attacked one of the guests near me. I grabbed Bryan and took him back into the house. His eyes were wild and full of rage. I had never seen him like this before.
"We went to his room and he slammed the door. I found a shattered lamp on the floor and began picking up the pieces."
Singer's lawyer Andrew Brettler has described the allegations as "uncorroborated, inflammatory, and highly defamatory".
He claimed Stuerman asked Singer "for money, for a job, and for a place to live".
He added: "Early in their relationship, he and Mr. Singer both expressed their affection for one another, but as time passed, Mr. Stuerman grew increasingly paranoid, delusional, and needy. It was then that Mr. Singer began distancing himself from Mr. Stuerman.”
He didn't address the allegation of Stuerman witnesses an assault, nor that they had a sexual relationship.
He said: "Mr. Stuerman does not want to take any responsibility and/or accountability for the decisions he made and actions he took as an adult.
“Rather, he spins a tale of alleged grooming and abuse, supposedly at the hands of Mr. Singer, even though Mr. Stuerman acknowledges he was a ‘willing participant’ in the relationship.”
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