A forthcoming Esquire article will allegedly rehash Bryan Singer‘s whole checkered history with twinks, some of which hasn’t held up or has been called into question, and so Singer has posted a preemptive pushback piece on Instagram.

The Esquire article will probably appear later this week, or certainly a week or two before the 11.2 opening of Singer’s Bohemian Rhapsody, which plays it right down the middle but is nonetheless quite engaging at times, especially during the Live Aid finale. Besides reporting what I presume will be factual information, the idea is to sell magazines on the back of 20th Century Fox’s promotion of the film.

Singer has written that the Esquire article will “rehash false accusations and bogus lawsuits” about the sexual assault allegations that have been thrown upon his doorstep. “I have known for some time that Esquire magazine may publish a negative article about me,” Singer says. “They have contacted my friends, colleagues, and people I don’t even know.

“In today’s’ climate where people’s careers are being harmed by mere accusations, what Esquire is attempting to do is a reckless disregard for the truth, making assumptions that are fictional and irresponsible.”

“[The article] will attempt to establish guilt by association simply because of people I’ve either known or met in the past,” Singer has written. “They will be attempting to tarnish a career I’ve spent 25 years to build.”

Leaving aside the various allegations and suggestions of misbehavior, it seems to me that Singer’s having abandoned the Bohemian Rhapsody shoot before the film was completed could harm his career much, much more. Who builds a directing career over a quarter-century and then walks off a set or otherwise “goes missing”? That’s not eccentric or intemperate behavior — that’s 100% insane.