Director Bryan Singer has slammed 21th Century Fox for firing him. According to his lawyer, the studio terminated him after he prioritised the health of an ailing parent over his film.

The studio fired Singer for absenteism, for being unreliable and unprofessional on the set of Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.

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“I wanted nothing more than to be able to finish this project and help honour 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,” Singer said via his lawyer Andrew Brettler on Monday, following his firing earlier on the same day.

Production on the film was halted on December 1, with a representative for Singer saying that a family health matter pulled him away.

Fox confirmed the unplanned hiatus, citing only the helmer’s “unexpected unavailability.”

In his statement, Singer explained that he “asked Fox for some time off so I could return to the US to deal with pressing health matters concerning one of my parents. This was a very taxing experience, which ultimately took a serious toll on my own health. Unfortunately, the studio was unwilling to accommodate me and terminated my services.”

Representatives for the studio are yet to respond to Singer’s statement.