Bryan Singer has broken his silence on the abuse claims filed against him by a former Hollywood hopeful, calling them "outrageous, vicious and completely false". The director also said he would not be engaging in any publicity for his forthcoming X-Men sequel Days of Future Past in the wake of the allegations.

"I do not want these fictitious claims to divert ANY attention from X-Men: Days of Future Past," said Singer in a statement yesterday. "This fantastic film is a labour of love and one of the greatest experiences of my career. So, out of respect to all of the extraordinary contributions from the incredibly talented actors and crew involved, I've decided not to participate in the upcoming media events for the film. However, I promise when this situation is over, the facts will show this to be the sick twisted shakedown it is. I want to thank fans, friends and family for all their amazing and overwhelming support."

Michael Egan, 31, last week filed a suit against Singer for allegedly abusing him as a 17-year-old in 1999. Three other high profile executives, David Neuman, Garth Ancier and Gary Goddard, are now also the subject of civil lawsuits filed by Egan's lawyer, Jeff Herman. Egan claims all four men were involved in a Hollywood sex-abuse ring taking place at an estate in Hawaii and properties in LA. The allegations are fiercely denied by all the accused.

Egan and Herman have now held two press conference in LA to promote their claims, the second of which was attended by Egan's mother Bonnie Mound. She said on Monday that approaches to the LAPD, FBI and various media outlets in 1999 were all knocked back in the wake of the alleged abuse.

Singer is alleged to have raped Egan and forced him to take cocaine during a period in which the young actor and model was trying to break into Hollywood. The suit also alleges the film-maker and others threatened to make or break Egan's career depending on his willingness to keep them happy.