Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis ordered to pay US$7.5 million in civil rape case
- Jurors ruled against Paul Haggis, who wrote and directed Crash, in rape lawsuit following a trial in Manhattan
- The 69-year-old Oscar winner was accused by film publicist Haleigh Breest of abusing and raping her in 2013
A New York jury found Oscar-winning screenwriter and director Paul Haggis liable for raping a publicist at his Manhattan flat in 2013, ordering him to pay at least US$7.5 million in damages in the civil case, a lawyer said.
The verdict came after a 15-day civil trial in Manhattan state court. Plaintiff Haleigh Breest alleged in a 2017 complaint that Haggis, known for writing the films Million Dollar Baby and Crash, raped her after pressuring her to join him at his SoHo loft following a movie premier.
Breest, 36, was one of four women who publicly accused Haggis of sexual misconduct in 2018. Haggis denied the allegations.
Jurors will return to court on Monday to weigh punitive damages. Haggis, 69, does not face criminal charges in the case.
“Justice was done today,’ Breest’s lawyer Ilann M. Maaze said in an email. “We are so proud of Haleigh. This is a great victory for her and for the entire #MeToo movement.”
Haggis’ lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, said the trial was not fair because the judge allowed statements from other women who accused Haggis but never took action against him.
