A jury ordered Paul Haggis, Oscar-winning filmmaker to pay at least $7.5 million to woman who accused him of rape in one of several criminal-era cases #Me too who sued Hollywood celebrities. The jury also plans to award punitive damages.
The civil trial, the verdict of which was reached on Friday, included charges for a bad behaviorsocializing on the red carpet and Scientology, while also tackling Haggis, famous for writing film scripts Million Dollar Baby (Coups of Fate, with Clint Eastwood and Hilary Swank) e Accidentwith Sandra Bullock), against Haleigh Breest, a publicist he met while working on theatrical releases in the early to mid-2010s.
After embracing her lawyers, Breest said she was “very grateful” for the verdict and, in a statement sent later, added that she was grateful that “the jury chose to follow the facts and believed in me.”
Haggis said he was “very disappointed” with the results and would appeal: “I will continue, with my team, to fight to clear my name,” he said as he left the courthouse with his three adult daughters. One of them wept on her sister’s shoulder when the verdict was handed down.
The facts
After a movie after-party in January 2013, Haggis offered Breest a ride home and invited her to his New York apartment for a drink.
Breest, 36, said so Haggis subjected her to unwanted advances and eventually forced her to perform oral sex on him and raped her despite her asking him to stop.
Haggis, 69, said the publicist was flirting with him and that, despite appearing “conflicted” at times, he began kissing and performing oral sex on her in a completely consensual interaction. He added that he could not remember if they had mated.
The court ruling
After a day of deliberations, the jury supported Breest, who said she suffered psychological and professional consequences from her encounter with Haggis. She sued him in late 2017.
Breest was awarded $7.5 million to pay damages, but the jury found that he should also have received punitive damages. The jury will return on Monday to continue the trial and decide that amount.
Four other women testified to having been subjected to forced and unwanted advances by Haggis, one of whom even accused him of rape, in separate meetings dating back to 1996. None of the four women took legal action.
Haggis he denied all allegations. His defense introduced several women to the judging panel, including his ex-wife and cast member Dallas Deborah Rennard, who said the writer-director responded calmly when she rejected his sexual or romantic advances.
On occasion three weeks of testimonialsThe trial looked into text messages Breest sent to his friends about what happened with Haggis, emails between the two before and after the night in question, and some discrepancies between their testimony and what they said in previous court documents .
a successful career
Haggis, who was born in Canada, has written episodes of popular series such as Different shots Y thirty and something in the 80s.
Later he made highly regarded films such as million dollar girl Y accident, which he also directed and co-produced. The two won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Haggis also won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay accident.
His credits also include screenplays for James Bond films. Royal Casino Y Quantum of comfort.
More #MeToo cases
The verdict came weeks after another civil jury in adjacent federal court decided so Kevin Spacey did not sexually assault fellow actor Anthony Rapp in 1986, when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26.
Meanwhile, the actor That show from the 70s Danny Masterson and former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein I’m on trial in multiple rape cases in Los Angeles. Both deny the allegations. Weinstein also appealed a ruling in New York.
The four cases arose after allegations from the #MeToo movement, revelations and sexual misconduct liability claims, sparked by reports released in October 2017 of decades of abuse that blamed Weinstein.
Breest, in particular, said she decided to sue Haggis over her public condemnations of Weinstein, which infuriated her.
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Source: Clarin
