Director Bryan Singer’s sexual assault accuser Michael Egan III has asked the court to dismiss his case without prejudice, Fox News reports.
Egan, 31, accused Singer of sexually abusing him during parties held by Hollywood heavyweights in Hawaii. Egan claimed he was underage at the time and was forced to consume alcohol and drugs.
According to Fox, Egan’s motion stated the dismissal "has little to do with the strength of (Singer's) defense, but rather, it is a consequence of the current circumstances regarding my case, my lack of legal counsel, and my inability to proceed in this matter acting on my own behalf.”
The news comes shortly after Egan’s former lawyer Jeffrey Herman dropped him after he refused to settle with Singer out of court. According to Buzzfeed, Egan was offered a $100,000 settlement in the case, but declined.
“This exact kind of take-it-and-shut-up deal is why I decided to stand up in the first place,” Egan told Buzzfeed. “Being silenced goes completely against what I believe in and offers no protection for other vulnerable children.”
Martin Singer, the director’s attorney, released a statement to Variety back in July regarding the alleged settlement the two parties reached:
“As Egan and his now ex-lawyers know, a legitimate claim in this type of case can run into the millions or dollars, so their willingness to resolve it for such a relatively low figure demonstrates their total lack of confidence in their chances for success. This was their way of trying to save face after an unsuccessful attempted shakedown of Bryan Singer. Bryan and his team will continue to fight to clear his name and intend to pursue charges of malicious prosecution against Egan.”
Egan wants the court to dismiss his case without prejudice, so he can re-file his claims with proper representation. However, Singer’s attorney wants the court to dismiss the case with prejudice, claiming his client has the right to defend his name.
