Rami Malek has spoken about working on Queen bipoic Bohemian Rhapsody with director Bryan Singer, who has been accused of multiple counts of sexual abuse.

Questioned on an exposé published by The Atlantic, which saw four men accuse Singer of sexually molesting them while they were underage, Malek called it “a horrible thing”.

“My heart goes out to anyone who has to live through anything like what I’ve heard and what is out there,” Malek told an audience in Santa Barbara, California, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“It’s awful, it’s remarkable that this happens, I can appreciate so much what they’ve been through and how difficult this must be for them. In the light of the #MeToo era that this somehow seems to exist after that, it’s a horrible thing.”

The 37-year-old actor said that discussing working with Singer was difficult as he did not want the focus of the film to move away from Freddie Mercury, who he plays in the film, and Queen. However, he does not ”want anyone to not feel like they can share their story.”

Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards Show all 90 1 /90 Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards Scroll through for every single Best Picture winner there has ever been NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 25: Overview of Oscar statues on display at "Meet the Oscars" at the Time Warner Center on February 25, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images) Getty Images Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards Wings (1928) The realistic air-combat sequences – a benchmark for all future aviation scenes – set this film apart from the competition at the very first Academy Awards ceremony (the category was then named Best Picture Production). Paramount/Rex Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards The Broadway Melody (1929) This was the first "talkie" to win the main prize. 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Getty Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards Cavalcade (1933) This film presents a view of English life during the first quarter of the 20th century from New Year's Eve 1899 to New Year's Day 1933, from the point of view of well-to-do London residents Jane and Robert Marryot (Diana Wynward and Clive Brook). Fox Film Corporation Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards It Happened One Night (1934) The first of three films to win in all the five main categories (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay) alongside One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Silence of the Lambs. 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Getty Images Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards The Lost Weekend (1945) This drama, following Ray Milland's alcoholic writer, was the talk of the 1946 ceremony, winning four trophies in total. Paramount Pictures Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) This war drama was the talk of Hollywood after winning nine Oscars, including two for veteran and non-professional actor Harold Russell, who remains the only person to have won two awards (Best Supporting Actor and an honorary trophy) for the same role. Getty Images Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards Gentlemen’s Agreement (1947) Controversial in its time, Gentlemen's Agreement follows a journalist (Gregory Peck) who poses as a Jew to research an exposé on the widespread distrust and dislike of Jews in New York City. It won three of the five Oscars it was nominated for. Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards Hamlet (1948) Hamlet stands tall as one of the most successful Shakespearean adaptations at the Oscars, as well as the first British film to win Best Picture. Getty Images Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards All the King’s Men (1949) This adaptation of the Robert Penn Warren novel of the same name starred Broderick Crawford as the ambitious and occasionally ruthless politician, Willie Stark. Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards All About Eve (1950) This Best Picture winner won six Oscars, but left lead stars Bette Davis and Anne Baxter – both nominated for Best Actress – empty-handed. Getty Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards An American in Paris (1951) Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron lead this musical version of George Gershwin's orchestral composition that won six Oscars in all. Getty Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) Many consider this film to be one of the worst Best Picture winners in Oscar history, and was the last victor to win fewer than three trophies until Spotlight in 2016. Many believe it beat its competitors as it was a chance to honour Cecil B DeMille whose films had failed the main prize. Getty Images Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards From Here to Eternity (1953) Fred Zinneman's romantic drama took home an impressive eight out of 13 nominations, including a Best Supporting Actor win for Frank Sinatra. Oscars: Every single film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards On the Waterfront (1954) Marlon Brando won his first Oscar in this Best Picture winner from Elia Kazan. 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“I’ve sat here and talked about how everyone deserves a voice and anyone who wants to talk about what happened with Bryan deserves to have their voice heard,” Malek continued. “In my situation with Bryan, it was not pleasant, not at all. And that’s about what I can say about it at this point.”

The visibly emotional Malek added, “For anyone who is seeking any solace in all of this, Bryan Singer was fired. Bryan Singer was fired, I don’t think that was something anyone saw coming but I think that had to happen and it did.”

Singer, who has previously been accused of having sexual relations with minors, has denied all allegations. Malek previously reasoned he worked with Singer before he knew about the allegations against him.

The director was removed from Bohemian Rhapsody midway through filming, with 20th Century Fox announcing they had “temporarily halted production on Bohemian Rhapsody due to the unexpected unavailability of Bryan Singer”.

Reports emerged soon after that the cast had mutinied over the director’s behaviour on set, with Singer allegedly arriving late on a regular basis. He argued that the studio had refused to allow him to return to the US to care for an ill parent and denied falling out with Malek.

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Dexter Fletcher took over directing duties after but, due to the Directors Guild of America rules, Singer is still the credited director.