Sunday, June 7, 2015

Lawyer Who Sued Bryan Singer And Other Hollywood Figures Apologizes

Jeff Herman at a press conference on May 5, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California.

Valerie Macon / Getty Images

Jeff Herman, the Florida lawyer who last year accused a number of Hollywood executives of sexually abusing an underage actor, conceded Saturday that some of the allegations were false.

"I sincerely apologize for bringing lawsuits against you," Herman wrote in letters to former Disney executive David Neuman and television executive Garth Ancier. "Based on what I know now, I believe that I participated in making what I now know to be untrue and probably false allegations against you. Had I known what I learned after filing the lawsuits, I would never have filed these claims against you."

Herman had represented Michael Egan, a former child actor, in a series of highly publicized civil suits against Neuman, Ancier, and X-Men director Bryan Singer. The lawsuits drew widespread attention, but eventually collapsed as Egan's credibility came into question.

Herman withdrew from the lawsuits two months after filing them. Egan has since pleaded guilty to securities fraud in a separate criminal case.

Herman's apologies on Saturday are part of out-of-court settlements with Ancier and Neuman, both of whom had threatened to sue Herman for malicious litigation. The apologies do not mention Singer, who documents show agreed to settle with Egan for $100,000.

Besides the letters of apology, Herman's settlements with the executives included undisclosed monetary payments, according to representatives for Neuman and Ancier. The settlement with Ancier was in the seven-figure range, according to the television executive's representatives.

"I would like to thank my family, friends, and colleagues for their steadfast support through this," Neuman said in a statement. "You have been amazing. You knew that these charges were all lies, and your support was unwavering. I thank you all with all of my heart."

"I said on day one this was all absolutely false and I'm certainly pleased that's now been admitted by the lawyers responsible for transforming absurd fabrications into a real-life nightmare for me," Ancier said.

Neither Herman nor Egan respond to requests for comment.