(LibertySociety.com) – Now disgraced movie director Paul Haggis, who was known for screenwriting Million Dollar Baby and his work with movie franchises like The Terminator, is back in the headlines. The Daily Beast reported that Haggis is currently living abroad and making money while failing to pay a judgment to his rape accuser. Former film publicist Haleigh Breest sued Haggis in 2017 and was awarded $10 million in damages by a New York jury. Breest claimed that the Oscar-winning director raped her when she was 26 years old following a movie premier in 2013.
Haggis, who was 59 at the time, claimed that the encounter was consensual. His attorney argued that she was looking for a payout, but the jury was unconvinced. It has been over a year since the judgment, and Haggis has not paid a single penny in damages to Breest. Haggis testified about his financial woes during the trial, and his attorneys argued that he was “financially decimated” by legal fees, two divorces, and bad financial decisions. Breest was awarded an additional $2.5 million in November 2022, just after his attorneys told the jury that he would never be able to pay either judgment.
Breest has kept the legal fight in the court, refusing to back down. In December 2023, the court ordered Haggis to sell his $2.9 million apartment in Soho. Breest also accused him of giving his assets to his ex-wife Deborah Rennard. She filed a separate lawsuit against Rennard in December 2023 for aiding Haggis with “evading enforcement of the anticipated Judgments.” Haggis is also being sued for failing to pay his legal fees totaling nearly $74,000.
Now Haggis is living in Rome, Italy, and holding acting workshops. The three-day class costs $350 and includes up close and personal rehearsals with Haggis. An email account bearing his name began advertising for the class back in September of last year. Each class has 20 slots, and “fills up quickly” according to a November email blast.
Copyright 2024, LibertySociety.com
