Canadian movie producer, Paul Haggis is in court in New York City today to fight claims he raped a publicist in 2013.
The Oscar-winner is being sued by Haleigh Breest, 36, a Manhattan publicist who says he attacked her in his apartment after a premiere for the movie Side Effects.
Breest was 26 at the time and Haggis, now 69, was nearly 60. She claims he brought her back to his apartment for a ‘drink’ then forced her to perform oral sex on him and raped her.
In her lawsuit, she claims he told her not to ‘worry’ because he’d had a vasectomy so couldn’t impregnate her. Haggis – who was previously arrested in Italy on separate rape claims – denies Breest’s allegations.
He says the entire case is being driven by the Church of Scientology as punishment for his speaking out against it – Haggis used to be a member of the church but deserted in 2009.
Jury selection for the civil trial begins today in Manhattan. Breest is expected to testify, as are…
Source: Linda Ikeji
