Oscar-winner Paul Haggis ordered to pay $10.3m in civil rape case, Latest Movies News - The New Paper
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Oscar-winner Paul Haggis ordered to pay $10.3m in civil rape case

NEW YORK – A New York jury on Thursday found Oscar-winning screenwriter and director Paul Haggis liable for raping a publicist at his Manhattan apartment in 2013, ordering him to pay at least US$7.5 million (S$10.3 million) in damages in the civil case, an attorney said.

The verdict came after a 15-day civil trial in Manhattan state court. Plaintiff Haleigh Breest alleged in a 2017 complaint that Haggis, 69, known for writing the films Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Crash (2004), raped her after pressuring her to join him at his SoHo loft following a movie premiere.

Ms Breest was one of four women who publicly accused Haggis of sexual misconduct in 2018. He denied the allegations.

Jurors will return to court next Monday to weigh punitive damages.

“Justice was done today,” Ms Breest’s attorney Ilann M. Maaze said in an e-mail. “We are so proud of Haleigh. This is a great victory for her and for the entire #MeToo movement.”

Haggis’ attorney, Ms 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.

“They used this to distort the truth, assassinate Mr Haggis’ character, paint him as a monster, and use a ‘where there’s smoke, there’s fire’ strategy,” she noted in a statement.

In June, Haggis was arrested by the Italian authorities and held in custody for more than two weeks on charges of sexual assault and aggravated personal injury. He denied the allegations. - REUTERS

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