X-Men: Bryan Singer Reportedly Brought Alleged Sex Offender to Set

https://www.cbr.com/x-men-bryan-singer-alleged-sex-offender-set/

According to a new report, X-Men director Bryan Singer invited an alleged sex offender to the set of the first film.

In a retrospective from The Hollywood Reporter, a source recalled how Singer brought Marc Collins-Rector to set just months after he was accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old. Collins-Rector was eventually indicted for transporting minors across state lines for sex in August 2000, just a month after X-Men's release on July 12.

Later, Collins-Rector faced a lawsuit from Alex Burton, who appeared in 2000's X-Men as Pyro when he was 18 years old. Burton was cast with no previous acting credits to his name and was then flown from Los Angeles to Toronto for a bit part, although roles as small as his are usually cast locally. He reportedly told one source that "Marc [Collins-Rector] and Bryan [Singer] created that role for me."

On July 20, 2000, Burton filed a suit that claimed Collins-Rector, Chad Shackley and Brock Pierce used drugs and threats of physical harm to sexually assault him. He claimed the incidents took place between July 1999 and May 2000 in Encino, CA at Digital Entertainment Network, a business venture where all four men worked. Although Singer was not named in the suit, the time period coincides with X-Men's production, which suggests this was an ongoing situation when both Collins-Rector and Burton appeared on set.

In the suit, Burton accused Collins-Rector of threatening to "use his power and influence in the entertainment industry to prevent Burton from gaining employment in the field of entertainment." Notably, Burton did not appear in the sequel X2: X-Men United. Singer's rep claimed Burton was not brought back because "Bryan needed the character of Pyro to appear older and go through a darker transition where he ultimately becomes a villain."

Burton ultimately won $6 million from the lawsuit. When that was not paid, the courts demanded an additional $4.8 million in interest. He has since changed his name and has never appeared in another film or television project.