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Bohemian Rhapsody actor Rami Malek addresses Bryan Singer allegations

'As far as I knew, I was considered before Bryan was even attached'

Jack Shepherd
Wednesday 23 January 2019 17:07 GMT
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Rami Malek has spoken about the allegations against Bohemian Rhapsody director Bryan Singer.

In an exposé in The Atlantic, four men have accused Singer of sexually molesting them while they were underage.

Singer, who has previously been accused of having sexual relations with minors, has denied all allegations.

Speaking to the LA Times, Malek said he was unaware of any allegations facing Singer when he was cast as Freddie Mercury in the Queen biopic.

"As far as I knew, I was considered before Bryan was even attached," he said. "So I had my head down preparing for this for about a year ahead of time, and I never really looked up.

"I didn’t know much about Bryan. I think that the allegations and things were, believe it or not, honestly something I was not aware of, and that is what it is. Who knows what happens with that … but I think somehow we found a way to persevere through everything that was thrown our way."

Singer was removed from the project midway through filming, with 20th Century Fox announcing they had “temporarily halted production on Bohemian Rhapsody due to the unexpected unavailability of Bryan Singer”.

Reports emerged soon after that the cast had mutinied over the director’s behaviour on set, with Singer allegedly arriving late on a regular basis. He argued that the studio had refused to allow him to return to the US to care for an ill parent and denied falling out with Malek.

Dexter Fletcher took over directing duties after but, due to the Directors Guild of America rules, Singer is still the credited director.

Bohemian Rhapsody won the Golden Globe for Best Picture Drama and has since been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. Malek has also been nominated for Best Leading Actor.

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