Bryan Singer has responded to the sexual-abuse claims made against him last week, calling them "outrageous, vicious and completely false." Additionally, the director has declined any promotion of his upcoming film, "X-Men: Days of Future Past."

"The allegations against me are outrageous, vicious and completely false. I do not want these fictitious claims to divert ANY attention from X-Men: Days of Future Past. This fantastic film is a labor 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 shake down it is. I want to thank fans, friends and family for all their amazing and overwhelming support."

Michael Egan III, now 31 years old, sued Singer last week, alleging he was sexually assaulted by the filmmaker multiple times when the plaintiff was between ages 15 to 17. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Hawaii, where the statute of limitations was set to expire today. Egan claims he was flown to Hawaii in 1991 when he was 17, where he was forced to take drugs and sexually assaulted.

"X-Men: Days of Future Past," produced by 20th Century Fox and based on Marvel characters, is scheduled to be released on May 23. Singer's full statement follows below: