Hollywood Sex Abuse Accuser Michael Egan Pleads The Fifth In Deposition

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — When aspiring actor Michael Egan last year accused prominent Hollywood executives of molesting him when he was a minor, Tinseltown was shocked.

Egan, 33, accused "X-Men" director Bryan Singer, former Disney executive David Neuman, producer Gary Goddard and TV producer Garth Ancier of molesting him when he was a minor at private sex parties in Encino and on Oahu.

But Egan's case has fallen apart. Earlier this year, Egan's lawyers acknowledged the case was without merit, dropped Egan as a client apologized to the men they sued and paid a seven-figure settlement to the accused men.

Now, newly revealed documents show that earlier this summer, Egan refused to answer questions under oath related to his claims. A deposition related to a countersuit from Ancier shows that Egan evoked his Fifth Amendment rights 400 times when asked questions about his allegations under oath.

Egan's unwillingness to stand by his claims under oath after his public accusation of the men last year at a news conference could erode his remaining credibility and play into Ancier's hand, said Jonathan Handel, who has covered the case for the Hollywood Reporter.

"(Ancier) was exonerated when the lawyers admitted that the case was untrue and provably false," Handel said. "What he wants now is to see the original accuser go down in flames."