The defense in the Paul Haggis rape trial had a busy Monday, calling several witnesses including the filmmaker’s adult daughter, a personal friend who said she once rejected Haggis’ advance without incident, a memory expert who previously testified in Harvey Weinstein’s New York trail and a former Scientologist who testified that church officials once ordered her to dig up dirt on the Oscar-winning “Crash” director.
The jury heard nearly two weeks of plaintiffs’ testimony in the civil trial being brought by Haleigh Breest, a former freelance events publicist who said Haggis pressured her to go to his Manhattan apartment after a 2013 movie premiere and raped her. Though the judge explained to the jury that both parties agree that Breest is not a Scientologist, and she testified that she was not being supported by the church in any way, Haggis’ team has continued to present its Scientology defense.
On Friday,...
The jury heard nearly two weeks of plaintiffs’ testimony in the civil trial being brought by Haleigh Breest, a former freelance events publicist who said Haggis pressured her to go to his Manhattan apartment after a 2013 movie premiere and raped her. Though the judge explained to the jury that both parties agree that Breest is not a Scientologist, and she testified that she was not being supported by the church in any way, Haggis’ team has continued to present its Scientology defense.
On Friday,...
- 11/1/2022
- by Josh Dickey
- The Wrap
Scientology returned to the spotlight on Monday in the Paul Haggis civil rape trial. Its reemergence in the conversation comes as a surprise since both sides seemingly agreed last week there’s “no evidence” to suggest the person suing the Oscar-winning director for rape is tied to the controversial church.
Defense attorneys for Haggis called on former Scientologist Shawna Brakefield, who testified via video to jurors on Monday in a lower Manhattan courtroom. “Anybody who speaks publicly against the church is just a target for being destroyed,” she said. “I’ve seen it happen.”
Haleigh Breest — a former film publicist who is suing Haggis for claims the the filmmaker forced her to perform oral sex on him and then raped her in his Soho apartment in 2013 after a movie premiere — maintains she has no connection to the Church of Scientology. But the defense team for Haggis has repeatedly argued that...
Defense attorneys for Haggis called on former Scientologist Shawna Brakefield, who testified via video to jurors on Monday in a lower Manhattan courtroom. “Anybody who speaks publicly against the church is just a target for being destroyed,” she said. “I’ve seen it happen.”
Haleigh Breest — a former film publicist who is suing Haggis for claims the the filmmaker forced her to perform oral sex on him and then raped her in his Soho apartment in 2013 after a movie premiere — maintains she has no connection to the Church of Scientology. But the defense team for Haggis has repeatedly argued that...
- 10/31/2022
- by Antonio Ferme and Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
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