The two sides debated whether Haggis was physically capable of carrying out the alleged attack eight weeks after a spinal surgery.
His defense, meanwhile, introduced jurors to several women - including ex-wife and former longtime “Dallas” cast member Deborah Rennard - who said the screenwriter-director took it in stride when they rebuffed his romantic or sexual overtures.ĭuring three weeks of testimony, the trial scrutinized text messages that Breest sent to friends about what happened with Haggis, emails between them before and after the night in question, and some differences between their testimony and what they said in early court papers. One had wept on a sister’s shoulder as the verdict was delivered. “I’m going to continue to, with my team, fight to clear my name,” he said as he left the courthouse with his three adult daughters. Haggis said he was “very disappointed in the results.” In a statement released later, she said she was thankful “that the jury chose to follow the facts - and believed me.” Veering from sex to red-carpet socializing to Scientology, the civil court trial pitted Haggis, known for writing best picture Oscar winners “Million Dollar Baby” and “Crash,” against Haleigh Breest, a publicist who met him while working at movie premieres in the early 2010s.Īfter hugging her lawyers, Breest said she was “very grateful” for the verdict as she left court. Jurors also plan to award additional punitive damages. NEW YORK (AP) - A jury ordered Academy Award-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis Thursday to pay at least $7.5 million to a woman who accused him of rape in one of several #MeToo-era cases that have put Hollywood notables’ behavior on trial this fall.
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