CULTURE

Rami Malek Responds to Allegations Against Bryan Singer, Saying He Was Not ‘Aware’ of Them

The Bohemian Rhapsody star was asked about the director.

Jan. 22, 2019

'Bohemian Rhapsody' World Premiere At The SSE Arena Wembley

Jeff Spicer/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Twentieth Century Fox

When Bohemian Rhapsody won Best Picture in the Drama catagory at this year’s Golden Globes, it wasn’t without some controversy. The film, which stars Rami Malek, was directed in part by Bryan Singer, who was fired days before a lawsuit surfaced against him for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old boy in 2003. Throughout the promo cycle for the film, Singer’s absence was not a conversation topic that came up much. But, now, Malek has addressed those allegations against Singer.

When asked point-blank if he regretted working with Singer, Malek pivoted and said that he “was not aware” of the allegations against Singer at the time. “As far as I knew, I was considered before Bryan was even attached,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “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.”

So Malek never did answer that question with a yes or no, though he did add that he thinks it’s possible for people to still enjoy the film, despite the fact that Singer has been accused of raping an underage person. “I think they can understand that Bryan Singer was fired from the film,” he said. “And that can be something that they can look at from a perspective of understanding why they can appreciate the film. And as far as I’m concerned, I never want to take away from Freddie’s story. I think that puts a button on it in a number of ways.

Interestingly, Malek and Singer may have had a contentious relationship throughout filming Bohemian Rhapsody, as reports noted. The X-Men director was eventually fired for unprofessionalism and long absences from the set. (It was so bad that even Tom Hollander reportedly quit at one point, before finishing his role as Queen’s manager.) “From the beginning, he was up to his old tricks,” a source close to the film told The Hollywood Reporter of Singer’s behavior, which caused the film to be delayed once again. “He would shoot, he’d be exhausted, [cinematographer] Tom Sigel would shoot.” Malek and Singer eventually got into a confrontation, which involved Singer allegedly throwing equipment.

Malek hasn’t talked about the incident, though he has said that he and Singer had “creative differences on set.” “We definitely had artistic differences,” he told Empire. “All I ever wanted to do was honor Freddie and present some aspects of who he was.”