Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis has been accused of sexual misconduct by four women, including two rapes, the Associated Press reports.
After publicist Haleigh Breest filed a lawsuit in December charging Haggis with rape, three more women were prompted to come forward with accusations.
One the new accusers told the AP that Haggis raped her after forcing her to perform oral sex. Another woman told the publication that Haggis told her “I need to be inside you” before she managed to run away.
Haggis’ lawyer, Christine Lepera, made a statement to Us Weekly about the accusations on Friday.
“Mr. Haggis denies these anonymous claims in whole. In a society where one of a person’s fundamental rights is the ability to confront an accuser, that right has now been eviscerated when it comes to anyone being charged in the press with any sort of sexual misconduct,” the statement reads.”Notably, no one has reached out to anyone on Mr. Haggis’ team other than the press to report this.”
The statement continues, “He views the fact that these reports appear to be spearheaded from the law-firm representing Ms. Breest, as a further tactic to try to harm him and continue their effort to obtain money. Mr. Haggis also questions whether Scientology has any role here, which he notes has been attacking him for years with false accusations.We reiterate our claim against Ms. Breest, and note again that we initiated the legal proceedings, not Ms. Breest.”
In Breest’s December lawsuit, obtained by Variety, she accuses Haggis of kissing her against her will after bringing her back to his apartment following a movie premiere in 2013. Breest alleges that Haggis then brought her into his bedroom, ripped off her tights, forced her to perform oral sex and after she repeatedly said no, Haggis violently raped her. She also claims that at one point, Haggis said to her, “You’re scared of me, aren’t you?”
“The truth she knows and has lived is that behind the façade of these comments lies another predator, a man willing to force himself on a young woman less than half his age and take pleasure in the fear and pain he caused her,” the suit reads. “Ms. Breest will not look the other way any longer.”
In addition to denying Breest’s claims, the Crash screenwriter sued her and accused her of trying to bankrupt him by demanding a $9 million out-of-court settlement, Variety reports.
