Who made Hearst’s decision to kill Bryan Singer story?

How high up the Hearst corporate ladder did the alleged decision go to kill a story — intended for Esquire’s December issue — that alleged a series of underage boys were sexually abused or raped by “Bohemian Rhapsody” director Bryan Singer over a period of decades?

The story was written by Maximillian Potter and Alex French, both contract writers for Esquire who had reportedly been working on the story for a year. But instead of appearing in Esquire, the story went up on The Atlantic website Wednesday, in advance of its publication in the March issue.

Singer angrily denied the claims. “It’s sad that The Atlantic would stoop to this low standard of journalistic integrity,” said Singer. “Again, I am forced to reiterate that this story rehashes claims from bogus lawsuits filed by a disreputable cast of individuals willing to lie for money or attention.”

Potter and French said the story had been approved by Esquire editor Jay Fielden and fact-checked and vetted by Hearst lawyers. It was set to go in the December issue when it was killed at the last minute.

Some fingers point to Hearst Magazines President Troy Young and Chief Content Officer Kate Lewis. Others speculate it could have gone as high as the parent company’s CEO, Steve Swartz.

Singer had gone on the offensive in October, when it was believed that the story was going through final editing before going to press — in Esquire.

In an Instagram post on Oct. 16, Singer said he knows friends and colleagues and even people he had never met who were being contacted. He had faced several lawsuits in the past, and he said the story was “fictional and irresponsible” and “will rehash false accusations and baseless lawsuits.” Several previous lawsuits against Singer had been withdrawn over the years. Hearst had not responded by press time.