A New York jury found Academy Award-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis liable for raping a publicist at his Manhattan loft 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.
