“Crash” director, producer, and co-writer Paul Haggis has been found liable on three counts of rape and sexual abuse.
The Academy Award winner was charged in a civil suit filed by former freelance publicist Haleigh Breest, who alleged that Haggis forcibly had sex with her in 2013 following a movie screening party. Breest was awarded 7.5 million in compensation and recommended punitive damages, as reported by Deadline.
In the recent trial, Breest claimed Haggis forced her to submit to intercourse and perform oral sex on him while digitally penetrating her while she denied his advancements. The New York judge ruled that Haggis was liable of first-degree rape and two third-degree charges of sex abuse and a criminal sexual act.
Four other Jane Does alleged Haggis sexually assaulted or attempted to assault them in separate incidents ranging from 1996 to 2015.
Breest sued Haggis in 2017 and reached a landmark ruling with the Appellate Division of...
The Academy Award winner was charged in a civil suit filed by former freelance publicist Haleigh Breest, who alleged that Haggis forcibly had sex with her in 2013 following a movie screening party. Breest was awarded 7.5 million in compensation and recommended punitive damages, as reported by Deadline.
In the recent trial, Breest claimed Haggis forced her to submit to intercourse and perform oral sex on him while digitally penetrating her while she denied his advancements. The New York judge ruled that Haggis was liable of first-degree rape and two third-degree charges of sex abuse and a criminal sexual act.
Four other Jane Does alleged Haggis sexually assaulted or attempted to assault them in separate incidents ranging from 1996 to 2015.
Breest sued Haggis in 2017 and reached a landmark ruling with the Appellate Division of...
- 11/10/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The defense in the Paul Haggis rape trial had a busy Monday, calling several witnesses including the filmmaker’s adult daughter, a personal friend who said she once rejected Haggis’ advance without incident, a memory expert who previously testified in Harvey Weinstein’s New York trail and a former Scientologist who testified that church officials once ordered her to dig up dirt on the Oscar-winning “Crash” director.
The jury heard nearly two weeks of plaintiffs’ testimony in the civil trial being brought by Haleigh Breest, a former freelance events publicist who said Haggis pressured her to go to his Manhattan apartment after a 2013 movie premiere and raped her. Though the judge explained to the jury that both parties agree that Breest is not a Scientologist, and she testified that she was not being supported by the church in any way, Haggis’ team has continued to present its Scientology defense.
On Friday,...
The jury heard nearly two weeks of plaintiffs’ testimony in the civil trial being brought by Haleigh Breest, a former freelance events publicist who said Haggis pressured her to go to his Manhattan apartment after a 2013 movie premiere and raped her. Though the judge explained to the jury that both parties agree that Breest is not a Scientologist, and she testified that she was not being supported by the church in any way, Haggis’ team has continued to present its Scientology defense.
On Friday,...
- 11/1/2022
- by Josh Dickey
- The Wrap
Updated with afternoon session: The oldest daughter of filmmaker Paul Haggis said Monday there is “circumstantial” evidence of a Church of Scientology plot against her father, who is facing a rape accusation in New York civil court, after he walked away from the religious organization and became a vocal Scientology critic.
But Alissa Haggis, who quit the church as a teenager and came out as gay years before her father left Scientology, testified on cross-examination that she doesn’t know of any such plot. “There’s no way I could know that directly,” she said, repeating a refrain of the Haggis defense.
A former high-ranking Scientology official, Mike Rinder, testified on Friday that “nobody would have any knowledge of that” because Scientology uses subterfuge so effectively to attack and undermine its critics.
Another ex-Scientologist and Haggis friend, Shawna Lee Brakefield, said she feared the lawsuit was the church retaliating against him.
But Alissa Haggis, who quit the church as a teenager and came out as gay years before her father left Scientology, testified on cross-examination that she doesn’t know of any such plot. “There’s no way I could know that directly,” she said, repeating a refrain of the Haggis defense.
A former high-ranking Scientology official, Mike Rinder, testified on Friday that “nobody would have any knowledge of that” because Scientology uses subterfuge so effectively to attack and undermine its critics.
Another ex-Scientologist and Haggis friend, Shawna Lee Brakefield, said she feared the lawsuit was the church retaliating against him.
- 11/1/2022
- by Sean Piccoli
- Deadline Film + TV
Scientology returned to the spotlight on Monday in the Paul Haggis civil rape trial. Its reemergence in the conversation comes as a surprise since both sides seemingly agreed last week there’s “no evidence” to suggest the person suing the Oscar-winning director for rape is tied to the controversial church.
Defense attorneys for Haggis called on former Scientologist Shawna Brakefield, who testified via video to jurors on Monday in a lower Manhattan courtroom. “Anybody who speaks publicly against the church is just a target for being destroyed,” she said. “I’ve seen it happen.”
Haleigh Breest — a former film publicist who is suing Haggis for claims the the filmmaker forced her to perform oral sex on him and then raped her in his Soho apartment in 2013 after a movie premiere — maintains she has no connection to the Church of Scientology. But the defense team for Haggis has repeatedly argued that...
Defense attorneys for Haggis called on former Scientologist Shawna Brakefield, who testified via video to jurors on Monday in a lower Manhattan courtroom. “Anybody who speaks publicly against the church is just a target for being destroyed,” she said. “I’ve seen it happen.”
Haleigh Breest — a former film publicist who is suing Haggis for claims the the filmmaker forced her to perform oral sex on him and then raped her in his Soho apartment in 2013 after a movie premiere — maintains she has no connection to the Church of Scientology. But the defense team for Haggis has repeatedly argued that...
- 10/31/2022
- by Antonio Ferme and Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
“The show must go on,” Silvia Bizio told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday, speaking by phone from the town of Ostuni in southern Italy, where Allora Fest, a new film festival led by the veteran Italian journalist in partnership with the Italian art critic Sol Costales Doulton, had just wrapped its first day.
Roughly 48 hours earlier, Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis, a key collaborator in the planning of Allora Fest, was arrested in Ostuni after a British woman told authorities that Haggis had sexually assaulted her. (The writer-director-producer has previously faced four other accusations of sexual assault in the United States.) Haggis’ Italian lawyer, Michele Laforgia, has declared that Haggis is “completely innocent.”
Haggis helped to recruit a number of Hollywood A-listers to Allora Fest — Edward Norton and Alfre Woodard honored their commitments to participate in master classes Tuesday, and others set to attend the fest,...
“The show must go on,” Silvia Bizio told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday, speaking by phone from the town of Ostuni in southern Italy, where Allora Fest, a new film festival led by the veteran Italian journalist in partnership with the Italian art critic Sol Costales Doulton, had just wrapped its first day.
Roughly 48 hours earlier, Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis, a key collaborator in the planning of Allora Fest, was arrested in Ostuni after a British woman told authorities that Haggis had sexually assaulted her. (The writer-director-producer has previously faced four other accusations of sexual assault in the United States.) Haggis’ Italian lawyer, Michele Laforgia, has declared that Haggis is “completely innocent.”
Haggis helped to recruit a number of Hollywood A-listers to Allora Fest — Edward Norton and Alfre Woodard honored their commitments to participate in master classes Tuesday, and others set to attend the fest,...
- 6/21/2022
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Artist sketch of Dockland Studios’ new sound stage.
In a dual boost for the Victorian screen industry, Dick Cook Studios (Dcs) will shoot two big budgeted movies at Docklands Studios as the facility unveiled plans to build a sixth sound stage costing $46 million.
The production company founded by the former chairman of Walt Disney Studios will set up its Australian base at the lot, headed by Melbourne-born Kate McLean.
A former vice president, office of the CEO to Bob Iger and senior director of the business development group at the Walt Disney Company, McLean will oversee creative content, production, business strategy and operational plans for Dcs Australia. She will start recruiting full-time staff early next year with the aim to build towards 25 personnel.
In Melbourne for the announcement with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Paul Fletcher, Federal Minister for the Communications, Cyber Safety and Arts, Cook said Dcs Australia is...
In a dual boost for the Victorian screen industry, Dick Cook Studios (Dcs) will shoot two big budgeted movies at Docklands Studios as the facility unveiled plans to build a sixth sound stage costing $46 million.
The production company founded by the former chairman of Walt Disney Studios will set up its Australian base at the lot, headed by Melbourne-born Kate McLean.
A former vice president, office of the CEO to Bob Iger and senior director of the business development group at the Walt Disney Company, McLean will oversee creative content, production, business strategy and operational plans for Dcs Australia. She will start recruiting full-time staff early next year with the aim to build towards 25 personnel.
In Melbourne for the announcement with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Paul Fletcher, Federal Minister for the Communications, Cyber Safety and Arts, Cook said Dcs Australia is...
- 10/20/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Chicago – In our latest crime/thriller edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 25 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of “The Next Three Days” with Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks!
“The Next Three Days” also stars Brian Dennehy, Olivia Wilde, Liam Neeson, Michael Buie, Moran Atias, Remy Nozik, Toby Green, Tyler Green, Jason Beghe, Aisha Hinds, Ty Simpkins, Veronica Brown, Leslie Merrill, Daniel Stern and Alissa Haggis from writer and director Paul Haggis. The film opens on Nov. 19, 2010.
To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “The Next Three Days” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie poster for “The Next Three Days” with Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks.
“The Next Three Days” also stars Brian Dennehy, Olivia Wilde, Liam Neeson, Michael Buie, Moran Atias, Remy Nozik, Toby Green, Tyler Green, Jason Beghe, Aisha Hinds, Ty Simpkins, Veronica Brown, Leslie Merrill, Daniel Stern and Alissa Haggis from writer and director Paul Haggis. The film opens on Nov. 19, 2010.
To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “The Next Three Days” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie poster for “The Next Three Days” with Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks.
- 11/12/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
United Artists is hitting the books.
The Tom Cruise-run MGM wing has hired literary scout Claire Lundberg to accelerate UA's lit acquisitions. The New York-based Lundberg, who was director of development at Scott Rudin Prods., will report to production president Don Granger.
"Claire is not only an experienced hand with great instincts," said UA COO Elliott Kleinberg, "she is also a film fanatic whose passion makes her a welcome addition to our team."
While with Rudin, Lundberg was involved in acquiring Khaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splendid Suns," which Steven Zaillian is adapting; Conn & Hall Iggulden's "The Dangerous Book for Boys"; and Stacey Schiff's "Cleopatra." She also worked as a book scout for Linda Clark Associates.
UA already has "Valkyrie" scribe Christopher McQuarrie on board to adapt "The Monster of Florence"; Paul Haggis and Alissa Haggis adapting "Ranger's Apprentice"; Charles Randolph adapting "The Birthday Party"; and Jose Rivera working...
The Tom Cruise-run MGM wing has hired literary scout Claire Lundberg to accelerate UA's lit acquisitions. The New York-based Lundberg, who was director of development at Scott Rudin Prods., will report to production president Don Granger.
"Claire is not only an experienced hand with great instincts," said UA COO Elliott Kleinberg, "she is also a film fanatic whose passion makes her a welcome addition to our team."
While with Rudin, Lundberg was involved in acquiring Khaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splendid Suns," which Steven Zaillian is adapting; Conn & Hall Iggulden's "The Dangerous Book for Boys"; and Stacey Schiff's "Cleopatra." She also worked as a book scout for Linda Clark Associates.
UA already has "Valkyrie" scribe Christopher McQuarrie on board to adapt "The Monster of Florence"; Paul Haggis and Alissa Haggis adapting "Ranger's Apprentice"; Charles Randolph adapting "The Birthday Party"; and Jose Rivera working...
- 1/26/2009
- by By Jay A. Fernandez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.