'Crash' director Paul Haggis loses rape suit, owes damages to victim Haleigh Breest
Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis was found liable Thursday of raping a publicist nearly a decade ago and now must cough up $7.5 million in damages.
After a three-week trial in Manhattan Supreme Court, the jury of four women and two men came back with the verdict in Breest’s favor after one day of deliberating, finding that Haggis forced her into three separate sex acts. Breest — who was 26 at the time — said after the film premiere, the “Million Dollar Baby” screenwriter offered to give her a ride home in his car service.But Haggis then cajoled Breest to his Mercer Street penthouse apartment over her protests that they go to a public bar instead, she recounted.
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