Paul Haggis Sexual Assault Civil Trial Opens With Both Sides Quoting Texts From Accuser
deadline.comThe sexual assault civil trial of Oscar-winning Crash writer-producer Paul Haggis began today in Manhattan with opening arguments from both sides citing a text exchange by the accuser.
The prosecution pointed to a passage from film publicist Haleigh Breest that read, according to the Associated Press, “[Haggis] was so rough and aggressive,” while the defense pointed out that the accuser also wrote, “I don’t care too much.” The case centers on allegations by Breest, who claimed in 2017 that Haggis assaulted her in 2013 after the two attended the premiere of the film Side Effects.
After myriad efforts by Haggis to have the matter thrown out of court, a New York judge ruled in mid-2018 that the case could proceed, but the Covid pandemic saw the matter put on hold until this week.
Breest is seeking unspecified damages. In her opening statement, Breest’s lawyer Zoe Salzman said her client didn’t go public with her allegations until after The New York Times published its bombshell exposé on Harvey Weinstein in October 2017, which paved the way for the #MeToo movement. “The hypocrisy of it made her blood boil,” Salzman told the court, according to the Associated Press.
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