“X Men” director Bryan Singer is speaking out about the allegations against him the sex ring lawsuit filed against him by Michael Egan III. Singer says he won’t participate in publicity for “X Men: Days of Future Past” because it takes the focus off the film. Singer is innocent until proven guilty, and of course it will turn out to be a terrible situation if this is the “shake down” he says it is.

Tomorrow I will talk about the lawsuits and the history of some of the other people involved. For now, here is Bryan Singer’s statement:

“The allegations against me are outrageous, vicious and completely false. I do not want these fictitious claims to divert ANY attention fromX-Men: Days of Future Past. This fantastic film is a labor of love and one of the greatest experiences of my career. So, 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.”

Rapper 50 Cent—real name Curtis Jackson– is being sued by a video model he labeled “thirsty video bitch” on Instagram after he incorrectly assumed she was trying to cash in on their professional friendship.

Model Sally Ferreira appeared in a video shot in March with 50 Cent (without permits) on the number 4 train in the Bronx. After the shoot, Ferreira claims, still photos leaked out to various websites of her with 50 Cent. The implication was that they were romantically linked,

In the complaint filed today by attorney Brian Caplan in New York’s Southern District, 50 jumped to the conclusion that Ferreira, with he’d worked before, had propagated this lie for her own advantage. Rather than investigate this, the rapper let loose on Instagram:

On March 27, 201 he ran a picture of Ferreira with this written over her face: WARNING; Do not attempt to work with this thirsty Video bitch [Her name is Sally Ferreira and she’s a model…] she sent photos of the video shoot to Mediatakeout Saying I’m in a relationship with her Can Anyone say RESHOOT?”

The rapper added, underneath her picture: “BIG FAIL. Reshoot coming”

Caplan says in the complaint that Ferreira denies all of this. He adds that she’s been in a committed relationship for 9 years, and 50 Cent is well aware of it.

Ferreira– who says she’s being blacklisted now because of 50’s postings– is suing for $11 million minimum in damages.

I don’t know where Mariah Carey’s new album is, but it’s not coming out on May 6th. Postponed from last July 2013, the still untitled collection was scheduled in February for May 6th. A single, “You’re Mine,” was released to promote it. But now the album has been removed from all release schedules. Promo tie-ins for it have been upended.

One insider says it’s because DefJam is still clearing samples and guest stars. But who knows at this point? Mariah released two other singles and a fan club single in the last year, all of which were disappointments. Originally Randy Jackson was managing and producing, then the job skipped to Jermaine Dupri.

What’s going on? This is just a guess: continuing to patch together songs from various producers, as in the past, gets harder and harder. I’ve said this a million times: why, after 25 years, isn’t there an album of Mariah Carey singing standards, produced by a real producer (Tommy LiPuma, Richard Perry, etc). Carey is known for her Voice, yet the Voice never gets to sing real songs? It’s mystifying.

Will the album appear in the month of May? There’s no title, no marketing, nothing. This kind of surprise release worked for Beyonce last winter. It didn’t work quite the same way with Pharrell Williams, even though he has a hit hit hit single with “Happy.”

Here’s crossing our fingers for Mariah. The waiting is the hardest part!

Graydon Carter knows how to publish a magazine, and he really knows how to throw a party. His annual fete for the Tribeca Film Festival is usually on the front patios of the New York State Supreme Court house in Foley Square. But it was freezing and extremely windy last night, so the party was moved inside the massive Gothic-columned lobby.

This is usually where lawyers, defendants, and judges line up in the morning, go through metal detectors, and hope their appearance doesn’t set off a guard dog. Somehow, VF cleaned the place up, polished the brass fixtures, scrubbed down the alabaster sconces and made it presentable for celebrities and media elite.

Carter, his wife Anna, Robert and Grace DeNiro, and Jane Rosenthal in a beautiful red gown welcomed quite a gang. Mike Myers came with rock manager Shep Gordon, subject of his new documentary. They chatted with Courteney Cox, who has a film at Tribeca, too, as well as director Ron Howard, Bob and Lynn Balaban, and Kate Walsh of “Grey’s Anatomy” fame who just had a cool run in the Fargo TV series.

Also spotted: Christy Turlington with Edward Burns, America Ferrera and her producer-writer husband Ryan, Lake Bell, both Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Michael Barker and Tom Bernard of Sony Pictures Classics, uber manager Johnnie Planco and wife Lois, the legendary Boaty Boatwright, CAA’s Josh Lieberman, as well as Peggy Siegal, former NYPD Commish Ray Kelly with wife Veronica, and the ever terrific Sandra Bernhard. Perri Peltz toured the room with Tory Burch. New York Observer published Jared Kushner chatted with the DeNiros, John McEnroe and Patty Smyth.

What made the party so great? Yeah, the people were pretty interesting. But the food was from Per Se. Thomas Keller was lurking around, making sure everything was just so. Was it the food, ‘per se’? Uh, yes. Now I see why restaurant Per Se is so expensive! If only they had sample sales!

And still I made it to the Theater at Madison Square Garden to see Sting, Sam Moore, and Chris Botti go guest spots with Italian rock star Zucchero. Sam and famed rock promoter Ron Delsener, who are the same age and met in the 1960s, greeted each other the same way, trying to beat each other to the punch: “I thought you were dead!” they said as they hugged. Zucchero’s audience stood all the way through his guests’ duets with him. Sting brought the house down with “Every Breath You Take” and “Mad About You.” Sam unleashed a wild version of “Soul Man” and a poignant “You are So Beautiful,” dedicated to Billy Preston.

Meantime, it’s frigid cold and blowing up a storm outside. Everyone’s wearing winter coats on April 23rd. Mike Bloomberg would never have let the weather get so out of hand! Bill DeBlasio, pull some strings already!

Shock: Mark Shand, the great British adventurer and environmentalist, died at age 63 this morning in New York after falling late last night and hitting his head.

Let me tell you why I am so shocked. Before Mark and some friends went over to the Diamond Horseshoe club on West 46th St., he hosted a benefit fundraiser at Sotheby’s for his elephant charity. Jamie Niven helped auction off dozens of Faberge-produced “eggs” designed by artists. One of them, by Jeff Koons, sold for $850,000. The night was a total success.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legend Sam Moore, at Shand’s request, brought his whole band including the Uptown Horns, and did a 30 minute set. The whole place was dancing. I was there. Shand danced to “Soul Man” and Moore’s other hits, took the microphone, and sang Sam’s praises. He showed us the elephant tattoo on his right forearm and said, “I got this when I first went to save the elephants.”

One of the eggs was signed by Prince Charles and Shand’s sister,  Camilla Parker -Bowles. The artist turned it into Humpty Dumpty. Everyone wanted it.

It was the one and only time I ever spent in the company of Mark Shand. Even if he hadn’t died, suddenly and tragically, today, I would have told he was one of the most charming, down to earth, nicest people I’d ever met.  The fact that he died in accident a short time later is just stunning. I’m sure everyone who was at Sotheby’s, including his daughter, is in shock.

Lesson that can never be over-stated: Life is precious. Live every day to the fullest.

Poor Justin Bieber. Wherever he goes, social problems follow. Remember when he went to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam? He wrote that he knew the most famous victim of the Holocaust would have been a “Belieber.”

Now Justin’s in Japan, where he stopped by a shrine to World War II military criminals. Of course, he offered prayers– to criminals– then sent the whole thing out on Instagram.

He later replaced the picture of him bowing his head in front of the shrine with a snapshot of a Time magazine headline.

Bieber then wrote on Instagram:

“While in Japan I asked my driver to pull over for which I saw a beautiful shrine. I was mislead to think the Shrines were only a place of prayer. To anyone I have offended I am extremely sorry. I love you China and I love you Japan”

The first sentence is not written in grammatical English. “For which I saw”– what is that? Then “I was mislead”? Does he mean “misled”? Sayonara, Justin.

Japanese fans were not amused by all this.

Here’s one example:

charlene_yeo @rara0691 I think when he already knew the picture offended so many people all over the world, he should apologize.but he just deleted it and posted another pic with some guy in the shrine. That s the point that I think we are mad about him

And:

moeishida that particular shrine honours all the people who lost their lives because of the war…its not just for the war criminals. among the many people honoured are children and women, people who didn’t directly take part in the fighting.

Last night’s Friars dinner for legendary comics Freddy Roman and Stewie Stone made history.

Nasal comedian Gilbert Gottfried told a joke “so dirty and disgusting” — according to sources– that legendary comic Shecky Greene up and left. He left not only the Pierre Hotel ballroom, but possibly the Friars Club as well. Joy Behar, who was in the audience, was asked to sub for him. “And she did a great job,” my source said.

I’m waiting now for Shecky to check in.

But sources say Greene was on deck after Gottfried finished up. Gottfried, relieved of his duties as the voice of the AFLAC duck after another controversy, couldn’t resist. Apparently the joke he told was much much worse than the “Aristocrats,” a joke so filthy that a whole documentary was made about it.

I can’t really reprint the joke here. It has to do with hemorrhoids. And something else.

“People were throwing up, especially the older people,” says my source.

Greene, in his late 80s, was horrified. He’s so mad that he left the hotel and vowed to quit the Friars. Today he missed eating lunch with another legend, Larry Storch, 91, and former star of “F Troop.”

Storch was consoled by pals Stewie Stone, and the great Norm Crosby, who were already lunching at the Friars.

Other comic greats at the dinner included Robert Klein, Dick Capri and Lainie Kazan. Sopranos star Dominic Chianese and singer Tony Orlando also attended.