Bryan Singer leaves Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody"

LOS ANGELES — Director Bryan Singer has hit back after a report claimed that he was being "unprofessional" and had been absent from the set of the Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody." Singer told The Hollywood Reporter he had to return to the U.S. to deal with "pressing health matters" concerning one of his parents. 

A representative for Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. said Monday that Singer is no longer the director of the film.

Singer said, "I wanted nothing more than to be able to finish this project and help honor the legacy of Freddie Mercury and Queen, but Fox would not permit me to do so because I needed to temporarily put my health, and the health of my loved ones, first."

The Hollywood Reporter reported Monday that Singer failed to show up to the London set on a number of occasions. Actor Rami Malek, who stars as Freddie Mercury in the film, complained to the studio about Singer's unprofessionalism on behalf of the cast, but Singer said he and Malek "successfully put those differences behind us" after clashing during the project. 

Studio representatives declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding Singer's departure or future plans for the film, which is currently slated for a Dec. 2018 release.

Singer, 52, is best known for directing the "X-Men" films and "The Usual Suspects."