Andres Iglesias Rodriguez
Director Paul Haggis has been found liable on three counts of rape and sexual abuse after a former publicist accused him of raping her at his SoHo penthouse in 2013.
The jury awarded Haleigh Breest—who accused Haggis of violently raping her and forcing her to perform oral sex—$7.5 million, with punitive damages to be decided at a later date.
During the civil trial, Haggis’ lawyers claimed that the 36-year-old was an “absolute liar” and a “jealous woman” whose flirtatious crush on Haggis turned vindictive when he “politely rejected” her following a one-night stand. In closing arguments, Haggis’ defense counsel, Priya Chaudhry, called Breest’s accusations “a blatant cash grab.”