Picture by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Scientology whistleblower Leah Remini testified at Crash author Paul Haggis’ civil rape trial Monday morning, in what amounted to a last-ditch effort to determine a connection, nonetheless tenuous, between the Church of Scientology and the allegations towards him.
Remini, 52, who appeared through stay video stream on a tv display at a New York courthouse shortly after 9:40 a.m., testified as a personality witness in protection of the embattled Hollywood director. Haggis is accused of raping publicist Haleigh Breest at his SoHo loft in January 2013.
The Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology podcast host opened her testimony by describing herself as an advocate for former Scientologists who left the church.
“I think about myself a voice for victims of Scientology and abusive organizations,” Remini, who sported a white blazer, instructed jurors from her Beverly Hills dwelling Monday morning. What seemed to be an Emmy Award was positioned subsequent to Remini within the backside right-hand portion of the display as she addressed the courtroom.
Haggis, a former Scientologist who publicly resigned from the church in 2009, has argued at trial that the Church of Scientology has surreptitiously manufactured the case as retribution for his defection. His protection has, in fact, been vastly difficult by allegations from a number of different girls on the trial of sexual abuse and misconduct. Haggis additionally confronted a separate legal allegation of rape in Italy, till a choose dominated the investigation mustn't proceed.
On Monday, Remini spoke of actor Tom Cruise’s “deity” standing in Scientology, in addition to Haggis’ fame within the Church and its interior circle of Hollywood stars. Remini, who joined the Church on the age of seven, testified she was energetic for 40 years earlier than leaving in 2013.
Echoing former Scientology spokesperson Mike Rinder’s earlier courtroom testimony, Remini instructed the courtroom that she, Rinder, and Haggis comprised the top-three enemies of the Church.
“Are you conscious of the place you’re ranked within the church?” Haggis’ legal professional Priya Chaudhry requested the previous sitcom actress.
“So far as enemies are involved, in all probability on the high,” Remini stated.
Remini testified that since leaving the church roughly half a decade in the past, she’s been subjected to “fixed harassment” and “stalking,” on the behest of church members, who've proven up at her and members of the family’ houses up to now.
“It’s a relentless menace—it’s not one thing that has ended,” Remini stated.
She additionally touched on Scientology’s litigious nature, claiming the Church wielded lawsuits to “financially destroy” her—and different ex-Scientologists—by means of a sequence of bogus lawsuits.
“They collect something they will to harm you,” Remini added, her voice breaking barely, as she appeared to get emotional talking concerning the Church’s controversial alleged practices of “disconnection”—requiring adherents forged out members of the family who will not be backers of their religion—and “truthful recreation,” the focusing on of perceived enemies or ex-members for retaliation.
Haggis, in the meantime, beforehand testified that the present civil rape case, which was filed in 2017, has blown up his funds.
The director has lengthy maintained that his encounter with Breest was consensual. The Million Greenback Child author can also be accused of sexually assaulting or making an attempt to assault 4 Canadian girls throughout incidents that occurred between 1996 and 2004. He denied these allegations on the stand final week, as effectively.
Remini instructed the courtroom she’d identified Haggis “on and off” for 30 years and that Haggis’ daughters and the TV actress’ kids attended a Scientology-affiliated college collectively. She forged Haggis as a “caring,” “heat,” and “humorous,” particular person who “cares deeply concerning the underdog.”
Remini repeatedly insisted below oath that she’d by no means witnessed Haggis act sexually inappropriately or violently in direction of girls.
“On this case, Haleigh Breest claims Mr. Haggis compelled himself on her sexually,” Chaudhry acknowledged. “Is that constant together with your data of Mr. Haggis?”
“Under no circumstances,” Remini replied.
“Does her declare change your opinion of him?”
“No,” Remini firmly acknowledged.
“On this case Haleigh Breest claims Paul Haggis violently raped her. Is that constant together with your data of Mr. Haggis?” Chaudhry later requested.
“It isn’t,” Remini stated.
Breest’s lawyer, Zoe Salzman, started her cross-examination of Remini shortly earlier than 11 a.m. by asking if Haggis had ever “made a cross” at Remini—and later grilled her over her data of the filmmaker’s infidelity throughout his second marriage.
The King of Queens actress struggled on Monday to make any connection tying the church on to the sexual assault allegations the 69-year-old Canadian screenwriter is dealing with.
“You agree, Ms. Remini, that an individual can each be each a former Scientologist and a rapist, proper?
Chaudhry, who initially objected to the query, was finally overruled by the presiding choose, Hon. Sabrina Kraus.
“Sure,” Remini acknowledged.
“Now, you weren't in Mr. Haggis’ condo on Jan. 13, 2013, appropriate?” Salzman stated.
“Appropriate,” Remini stated.
“You don't have any private data of what occurred to Haleigh Breest there that evening?” Salzman stated.
“No, simply what Paul instructed me,” Remini stated, who famous that Haggis had instructed her the encounter had been consensual.
Final week, Haggis, who testified over three days, appeared to battle to definitively recall whether or not he had vaginal intercourse with Breest below cross-examination by her attorneys. He claimed that Breest despatched him “combined indicators” inside his condo after leaving a movie premiere afterparty collectively following months of exchanging “flirtatious” work-related emails.
Breest’s authorized group has characterised Haggis’ Scientology technique as a sham protection supposed to distract jurors from the case’s allegations.
“It’s extra nonsense from the protection,” Breest’s lawyer, Ilann Maazel, instructed The Every day Beast outdoors courtroom on Monday following Remini’s testimony. “We’ve seen this 100 instances. They've zero proof of a connection to Scientology. They realize it. We all know it. They’ve wasted our time.”
“We aren't on retainer for the Church of Scientology," Salzman added. “By no means have been, by no means will likely be.”
The Church of Scientology has additionally pushed again on Haggis’ allegations connecting the controversial faith to the civil rape case.
“The Church has nothing to do with the claims towards Haggis, nor does it have any relation to the attorneys behind the case of the accusers,” Karin Pouw, a Scientology spokesperson, beforehand instructed The Every day Beast in a press release. “The Church has nothing to do with the claims towards Haggis, nor does it have any relation to his accusers.”
Breest, 36, who's searching for unspecified damages, testified earlier at trial about how Haggis seemed like “the satan” as he allegedly compelled her to carry out oral intercourse earlier than forcibly raping her at his Manhattan penthouse practically a decade in the past.
“He’s attempting to drag my tights down and I’m attempting to drag them up,” Breest instructed jurors final month. “He seemed just like the satan.”
Remini’s testimony wrapped up Monday morning, and trial proceedings have been anticipated to conclude Monday afternoon forward of closing arguments on Wednesday.