Anthony Rapp hits out at Red Sonja producer for defending Bryan Singer
Actor Anthony Rapp instigated a wave of sexual misconduct allegations against Kevin Spacey when he came forward in 2017 (Mike Coppola/Getty )
Actor Anthony Rapp has hit out at film producer Avi Lerner for saying that he would keep Bryan Singer, the subject of multiple sexual abuse allegations, on as director of upcoming film Red Sonja.
Rapp, who was the first person to publicly accuse disgraced actor Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct in October 2017, hit out at Lerner for his comments on Twitter.
Lerner said in a statement that Singer “continues to be attached” to the movie Red Sonja, according to a Twitter post by BuzzFeed News senior news reporter Adam Vary.
“I know the difference between agenda driven fake news and reality, and I am very comfortable with this decision,” Lerner allegedly said.
“In America people are innocent until proven guilty.”
Responding to Lerner’s comments, Rapp posted on Twitter on Friday (January 25): “Any actor who agrees to work on this film is complicit in keeping a predator in power and will be put on blast.”
Actor Anthony Rapp criticises film producer for siding with Bryan Singer
Rapp included a screenshot of a Vulture article about Lerner’s statement.
In October 2017, at the height of the #MeToo movement, Rapp became the first of a number of people to accuse Spacey of sexual misconduct dating back to 1986, when Rapp was just 14.
“Any actor who agrees to work on this film is complicit in keeping a predator in power and will be put on blast.”
—Anthony Rapp
He claimed Spacey invited him to a party at his New York apartment and, while drunk, tried to seduce him by climbing on top of him.
Singer’s latest film Bohemian Rhapsody was nominated for five Oscars on January 22, including Best Picture, though Singer was not among the Best Director nominees.
Bryan Singer has denied all allegations against him (DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty)
Earlier this month, four new accusations of sexual misconduct were made against Singer in an article published by The Atlantic for its March 2019 issue.
GLAAD awards removes Bohemian Rhapsody from nominees over Bryan Singer sexual abuse claims
On January 23, Singer, who is gay, denied the new sexual abuse claims, instead describing The Atlantic‘s reporting as a “homophobic smear piece.”
The GLAAD Media Awards pulled Bohemian Rhapsody from its nominees for best original film following the latest set of allegations.
The LGBT+ media charity confirmed to Variety that it has removed the Oscar-tipped movie from its shortlist of contenders for the accolade because it wants to stand in solidarity with victims of sexual abuse.
The Atlantic‘s article includes sexual misconduct claims made against Singer involving four teenagers, including a then-13-year-old boy.
Singer was previously named in two separate 2014 civil lawsuits alleging that he forced 17-year-old Michael Egan III into sexual activities at parties in California and Hawaii, and forced a second unnamed 17-year-old into sexual acts at a party in London. The two lawsuits were later dismissed.
