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Director Paul Haggis took the stand in a New York courtroom Wednesday morning, pushing again on allegations he raped a publicist at his Manhattan penthouse suite in 2013.
Haggis informed the jury that plaintiff Haleigh Breest acted “playful” and “cartoony” when he requested her to return again to his SoHo loft for a late night time drink—and willingly kissed him again—after months of exchanging “flirtatious” emails following a Manhattan movie premiere on Jan. 31, 2013.
“Why did you invite Ms. Breest over for a drink?” Priya Chaudhry, Haggis’ lawyer requested him.
“I used to be occupied with spending rather more time along with her,” the Hollywood producer mentioned, who additionally claimed “I’ve all the time been a flirt.” “I actually preferred her and I needed to see the place this went.”
“I mentioned let’s go to my place for a glass of wine,” Haggis recounted. “She mentioned ‘OK.’ Then she mentioned one thing actually odd. She mentioned, ‘OK, I’ll come however I’m not going to spend the night time’.”
“Why did you describe that as odd?” Chaudhry countered.
“If any person says they’re not going to spend the night time or they’re going to sleep over it’s an odd factor to say while you’re going for a drink,” Haggis defined. “It appeared to point that there’s a data issues might go additional however she’s not going to sleepover. I hadn’t invited her to sleepover. It was simply odd.”
Director Paul Haggis.
REUTERS
Breest, 36, a former publicist who had been working the movie premiere of Steven Soderbergh’s 2013 thriller Aspect Results, the place she encountered Haggis on the night time of the alleged rape, beforehand testified that she felt like a “caged animal” as Haggis made undesirable advances on her.
Breest testified she finally consented to have a drink at his residence however said the incident shortly devolved.
“He’s making an attempt to drag my tights down and I’m making an attempt to drag them up,” Breest testified. “He seemed just like the satan—he seemed completely totally different than I’d seen him earlier than.”
On the stand Wednesday, nonetheless, Haggis was adamant that Breest smiled at him after he kissed her closed mouth shortly after arriving at his luxurious constructing.
“Instantly earlier than you kissed Ms. Breest, what was the expression on her face?” Chaudhry requested.
“Smiling,” Haggis mentioned.
“What was the expression in your face?” Chaudhry replied.
“Smiling,” he repeated. “I leaned ahead… and I kissed her closed mouth, like one second.”
He mentioned Breest, who he mentioned acted “shocked,” later used his rest room, earlier than the pair kissed a second time in Haggis’ kitchen.
“What did Breest do while you kissed her a second time?” Chaudhry requested after displaying photographs of Haggis’ suite for the jury.
“She was kissing me again,” he mentioned.
Breest, who filed her civil go well with in 2017 on the top of the #MeToo motion, testified earlier at trial that she first got here ahead with the accusations after she noticed the Million Greenback Child author converse out towards convicted intercourse offender Harvey Weinstein on social media and in The Guardian. Breest maintains that Haggis compelled her to carry out oral intercourse on him earlier than raping her. She’s searching for unspecified damages.
Breest initially filed her go well with after she unsuccessfully tried to realize a $9 million out-of-court settlement from Haggis, whose legal professionals subsequently scoffed on the transfer, labeling it a shakedown supposed to bankrupt the Hollywood filmmaker. Haggis later sued Breest denying the accusations. Breest finally countersued Haggis for rape.
The 2-time Oscar-winner, in the meantime, has long-asserted the encounter was consensual.
A former Scientologist, Haggis has accused the church of producing the sexual assault allegations and the case towards him as retribution from publicly defecting from the controversial faith in 2009.
He was a church member for 35 years. Haggis testified Wednesday how he’d reached the OT VII—the best doable rating a follower can attain inside the “excessive” faith.
“It’s what they name Working Thetan,” Haggis mentioned.
Haggis testified he gave a “silly quantity” of money to the faith—estimating he’d shelled out roughly $250,000 for “auditing,” the controversial and so-called therapeutic observe, which he likened to interrogation.
“Even after they’re interrogating you, you pay for it,” Haggis testified. “It was loads.”
Haggis, who later discovered the periods have been recorded, mentioned the church’s auditors have been “fixated on intercourse and ladies.” He spoke of the alleged “beatings” high-ranking church members doled out to disobedient clergy members.
Haggis turned emotional at one level on the stand, eradicating his glasses to wipe away tears as he spoke concerning the isolation he’s undergone since being accused.
Paul Haggis leaves court docket accompanied by his household and ex-wife Deborah Rennard, far left, who testified in his protection.
Dorian Geiger
He applauded the continued help of his ex-wife, TV actress, Deborah Rennard, who testified earlier on Wednesday.
“She’s exceptional,” Haggis mentioned, his voice cracking. “She’s been my finest good friend ever since.”
“How would you describe your relationship with Ms. Rennard now?” Chaudhry requested.
Haggis additionally testified Wednesday that the one time he’d ever been violent in the direction of ladies was when he punched his first spouse after she allegedly attacked him with a knife.
Haggis has claimed the case’s drawn-out case litigation has successfully bankrupted him.
“I’m extremely nervous, in fact,” Haggis testified moments after taking the stand Wednesday. “And I’m very blissful. As a result of for 5 years I’ve been unable to clear my title.”
Hon. Sabrina Kraus, the decide presiding over the case, beforehand dominated Haggis might argue that the Church of Scientology was concerned with the case.
Final week, Mike Rinder, a former senior govt within the Church of Scientology testified that Haggis was one of many faith’s “top-three enemies” of the faith.
Throughout the trial’s opening statements his legal professionals referred to the church as a “world-famous prison group.”
“The circumstantial proof of Scientology’s involvement right here can be highly effective,” Haggis’ lawyer Priya Chaudhry beforehand mentioned in court docket.
Director Paul Haggis and spouse Deborah Rennard on the 2008 Academy Awards.
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Actress and ex-Scientologist Leah Remini and Susan Sarandon, are additionally rumored to take the stand in Haggis’ protection.
4 different ladies, who got here ahead after Breest filed her go well with, have additionally accused Haggis of sexually assaulting them, or making an attempt to, throughout incidents that occurred between 1996 and 2015.
In June, Haggis was additionally arrested in Italy after a “international lady” accused the movie mogul of getting “non-consensual relations” with a “international lady” at a movie pageant within the nation. He spent 16 days on home arrest in a resort earlier than an Italian court docket dismissed the case. Haggis’ legal professionals had then-claimed the unnamed sufferer within the case sought to manufacture the allegations as a result of she’d been fixated on incomes a display credit score as a “Bond Woman.”
Haggis, wearing a black go well with, mild blue gown shirt and navy tie, left court docket on Wednesday flanked by his kids and quite a few relations. He compelled a fleeting smile as he strode previous court docket reporters.
Breest’s lawyer, Ilann Maazel, declined to remark following the afternoon proceedings.
Haggis’ testimony is anticipated to proceed Thursday morning.