Paul Harris Under House Arrest in Italy Over Sexual Assault Claims & More News Here

Academy Award-winning director Paul Haggis is presently beneath home arrest in Italy after being accused final week of sexually assaulting a British lady — and he faces related allegations from a number of ladies in the US.

The Canadian-born director — who received Oscars in back-to-back years for his movies “Crash” and “Million Dollar Baby” — was in southern Italy to participate in the Allora Film Festival, which has since canceled all of his appearances and distanced itself from the 69-year-old filmmaker.

According to Italian information outlet La Repubblica, which obtained a duplicate of the prosecutor’s report, the British lady stated she first met Haggis at a movie competition on the finish of April, and that Haggis later reached out to her on Instagram. After talking on the app for weeks, she stated, the 2 determined to fulfill up in Puglia and he or she arrived in Italy on June 12. The lady stated Haggis sexually assaulted her twice over the following 4 days, in keeping with La Repubblica.

The Daily Beast reported that investigating prosecutor Antonio Negro’s workplace stated Haggis dropped the lady off on the Brindisi Airport the morning of June 15, giving her cash to purchase a ticket when the airport opened. A flight attendant discovered the lady cowering in a nook of the airport and contacted police, The Daily Beast reported.

According to the prosecutor’s workplace, the lady was taken to the hospital the place it was decided she “suffered repeated non-consenting sexual acts,” and a health worker’s report said that because of the violent nature of the assault the lady was left incapable of getting intercourse, in keeping with The Daily Beast.

Haggis’ legal professional in Italy, Michele Laforgia, instructed Italian information web site ANSA that Haggis stated he’s “totally innocent” and that the “relations he had with this woman … were totally consensual.”

An Italian decide ordered final week that Haggis ought to be held beneath home arrest at his lodge in Ostuni whereas the investigation continues, Deadline reported.

M. Caulfield/WireImage by way of Getty

The director is going through related accusations in New York

In December 2017, publicist Haleigh Breest filed a lawsuit in opposition to Haggis, accusing him of raping her at his SoHo house in January 2013.

According to the grievance, Breest was 26 years previous on the time — lower than half the director’s age.

Breest stated in the grievance that she was working at an occasion when Haggis provided to present her a trip dwelling when the occasion was over. She stated he then invited her to his house to have a drink and he or she agreed as a result of she was fearful concerning the implications of claiming no to such a distinguished man in Hollywood, in keeping with the lawsuit.

Almost instantly after getting as much as his house, Breest stated that Haggis “began to make unwanted sexual advances and to forcibly kiss her” regardless of repeatedly telling him, “No.”

Breest stated Haggis took her right into a bed room the place he “violently” eliminated her tights, pressured her to present him oral intercourse, and “aggressively” inserted his finger into her vagina earlier than raping her, in keeping with the grievance. Breest stated she finally misplaced consciousness and awoke alone in the bed room. She stated she left the house after discovering Haggis in one other bed room. According to the grievance, Breest suffered vaginal tearing from the encounter.

Three ladies later got here ahead to Breest’s authorized staff with related complaints in opposition to Haggis. The nameless ladies are listed as Jane Does 1-3 in Breest’s amended grievance, which was filed a 12 months later in July 2018.

“The experiences of these additional women and Ms. Breest make clear that Paul Haggis is a serial predator who has preyed upon women for many years,” Breest’s authorized staff wrote in the submitting.

Here’s a abstract of the three different ladies’s allegations outlined in the amended grievance:

• Jane Doe 1 stated Haggis forcibly kissed her throughout a late night assembly in 1996, when she was working as a publicist on a tv program with him. She stated he turned “menacing and threatening” when she pushed him away. She stated he eliminated her garments, pressured her to present him oral intercourse, after which pushed her onto the ground of the workplace the place he raped her, in keeping with the grievance.
• Jane Doe 2 stated Haggis got here onto her throughout a gathering in 2008 the place she was pitching him a TV present concept. At one level throughout the assembly, she stated Haggis instructed her, “I need to be inside you,” then he came to visit to the sofa the place she was sitting, grabbed her, and tried to kiss her. Doe 2 stated she fled the workplace, however Haggis chased after her. She stated she managed to get into her automobile and drive off, “leaving him standing in the street,” in keeping with the grievance.
• Jane Doe 3 stated Haggis assaulted and tried to rape her at a movie competition in 2015. She stated she met with him on the competition to debate their shared curiosity in screenwriting, however that Haggis ended up propositioning her twice, regardless of her making it clear she wasn’t in having intercourse with him, the grievance states. When she stated she wished to go dwelling after attending a movie with Haggis, she stated he grabbed her and he or she screamed and pushed him away. She acquired into a close-by taxi, however stated Haggis adopted her into the automobile and insisted on dropping her off at dwelling, in keeping with the grievance. When she acquired to her house, she stated he adopted her out of the automobile, grabbed her once more, and forcibly kissed her. She stated he restrained her arms, however she freed one among them and hit him earlier than managing to flee and get into her constructing.

When reached for touch upon Wednesday about Haggis’ arrest, Breest’s legal professional, Ilann M. Maazel stated, “We’re very troubled by the allegations against Mr. Haggis in Italy.”

Haggis has denied all the rape accusations

Debra L Rothenberg/WireImage by way of Getty

Haggis has denied all allegations of wrongdoing in relation to the lawsuit, and stated all intercourse acts with Breest have been of a “voluntary nature.” In a movement to dismiss the case, Haggis alleged that Breest tried to extort him for $9 million earlier than she filed the lawsuit.

The case is pending and on Tuesday a trial date was set for October 11, 2022.

In an April 2021 court docket submitting on the case, Haggis requested for a trial as quickly as doable in order that he might clear his identify, saying his profession was struggling because of this. He stated in the submitting that he has been unable to work as a director and producer and has solely been in a position to get hold of a “tiny fraction” of the writing jobs he had previous to the lawsuit, and solely at “drastically reduced rates.”

“I have had discussions with producers and financiers, but have been repeatedly told that they cannot work with me until I clear my name,” Haggis wrote in the submitting.

He additionally stated he cannot proceed to afford his authorized charges, saying he is exhausted his financial savings and borrowed vital funds to pay his legal professionals.

Haggis’ legal professional insinuated the Church of Scientology is behind the allegations

When the three different ladies got here ahead with allegations in opposition to Haggis, his legal professional questioned whether or not the complaints have been a part of a conspiracy orchestrated by the Church of Scientology.

Haggis is a former member of the secretive celebrity-centric faith, however left the church in 2009 and has since turn out to be one among its chiefest critics.

“Mr. Haggis also questions whether Scientology has any role here, which he notes has been attacking him for years with false accusations,” legal professional Christine Lepera instructed Deadline in 2018.

The Church of Scientology, nevertheless, issued an announcement to Deadline in response to Lepera’s remark, calling the allegation that they have been behind the ladies coming ahead an “absurd, paranoid, and bigoted conspiracy theory.”

Haggis’ lawyer, Michele Laforgia, did not return Insider’s request for remark concerning the present standing of his case and whether or not Haggis believes the Church of Scientology is behind the most recent allegations. The Church of Scientology did not instantly reply to Insider’s request for remark.

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