Paul Haggis, who won an Oscar for directing Crash, has settled a well-known rape lawsuit filed by former film publicist Haleigh Breest. The deal, which was filed in court on Monday, says that Haggis must pay just under $2 million to settle disagreements that came up after a jury’s decision in 2022. This news brings a big end to one of the most well-known Hollywood cases from the #MeToo era.
Haleigh Breest said that Paul Haggis raped her and forced her to have oral sex in his New York City apartment after a movie premiere in January 2013. Breest sued in December 2017, during the #MeToo movement, because Haggis publicly criticized Harvey Weinstein. A jury in New York found Haggis guilty in 2022 and gave Breest about $7.5 million in damages. A judge later added $2.8 million for attorney fees, bringing the total to more than $10 million plus interest.
During the trial in 2022, four more women said that Haggis had made unwanted sexual advances toward them since 1996, but none of them sued him. Haggis denied the claims, saying he couldn’t remember if he had sex with Breest. The verdict was in line with other well-known #MeToo cases, such as those involving Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey.
The court order says that the parties have “amicably resolved all disputes,” with Haggis paying Breest more than $1.9 million. This amount is less than the full judgment, but it ends years of legal battles without any more appeals.
