X-Men: Days of Future Past director Bryan Singer has issued a statement following allegations of sexual abuse and announced he will not be participating in any promotional activities for the film.

“The allegations against me are outrageous, vicious and completely false,” he said in a statement on Thursday. “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.”

Singer announced that he will not participate in any press events for the film – a move that he first made when he decided to not attend WonderCon last weekend in support of his new X-Men film. “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.”

Claims of sexual abuse first came to light one week ago today when a man said he was raped by Singer in 1999.

X-Men: Days of Future Past opens in theaters May 23.