‘Crash’ director Paul Haggis loses rape suit, owes $7.5M in damages to victim Haleigh Breest

Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis was found liable Thursday of raping a publicist nearly a decade ago and now must cough up $7.5 million in damages.

Haleigh Breest sued the “Crash” director in 2017, accusing him of violently raping her in his Soho apartment on Jan. 31, 2013, after a film premiere.

After a three-week trial in Manhattan Supreme Court, the jury of four women and two men came back with the verdict in Breest’s favor after one day of deliberating, finding that Haggis forced her into three separate sex acts.

The jurors also determined Haggis, 69, should be held liable for punitive damages. A second phase of trial will begin Monday to determine how much should be awarded.

Outside court, Breest said she was “very grateful.” while her lawyer, Zoe Salzman, added: “We are pleased with the jury’s result.”

Haggis showed no emotion as the verdict was read, though one of his daughters broke into tears. Outside, however, he said he was “very disappointed with the results and I will continue with my team to fight to clear my name and keep our options open as to what we will do.” 

Breest testified for four days about the alleged rape, describing how she felt like a “trapped animal” during the encounter.

Breest — who was 26 at the time — said after the film premiere, the “Million Dollar Baby” screenwriter offered to give her a ride home in his car service.

But Haggis then cajoled Breest to his Mercer Street penthouse apartment over her protests that they go to a public bar instead, she recounted.

Once inside, Breest — whose cellphone had died — claims she attempted to rebuff Haggis’ kisses and eventually fought him as he tried to take off her tights once they were inside the guest bedroom.

Breest said Haggis forced her to give him oral sex before raping her.

The day after, Breest sent text messages to a friend, writing she “kept saying no” to Haggis — messages that were presented at the trial.

Breest’s lawyer Ilann Maazel told the jury Wednesday during closing arguments Haggis is a “monster” and a “pyschopath.”

Maazel also said Breest was traumatized and to this day, suffers from recurrent memories of the incident. He said his client has only had sex one time since, hasn’t had a boyfriend and has been unable to marry and start a family.

Haggis maintained the incident was consensual and told the jury during three days of testimony that he only remembers Breest giving him oral sex — contradicting her testimony that he also forced intercourse.

Haggis has also claimed the Church of Scientology is behind Breest’s accusations as well as the claims by four other women, who also have testified Haggis raped and sexually assaulted them.

He claims the church cooked up the alleged false claims against him as part of their vendetta against him for publicly splitting with the church in 2009 after over 30 years a member.

Steven Hirsch

Steven Hirsch

Steven Hirsch

“King of Queens” actress Leah Remini, also a former Scientologist, testified by video Monday the church uses litigation to “destroy” its enemies and asserted Haggis was the “victim here.”

After the verdict, Chaudhry told The Post in a statement that they are “disappointed and shocked by the verdict.”

Chaudhry said that the judge’s decision to block certain evidence and allow in others at trial – like the other accusers’ testimony – harmed her client’s shot at a fair trial.

“It was impossible for Mr. Haggis to get a fair trial once the judge allowed the statements of four other women who never went to the police, never took any action against him, and three of four never even came into the courtroom,” Chaudhry said. “They used this to distort the truth, assassinate Mr. Haggis’ character, paint him as a monster, and use a ‘where there’s smoke, there’s fire’ strategy.”

Chaudhry said the trial was “a shameful exploitation of the #MeToo movement where political sentiment trumps facts.”

Scientology on Monday denied any connection to the case against Haggis.

“For over a decade, Haggis has penned false stories about the Church in an effort to distract from whatever bad acts he has engaged in,” the church said in a statement. “The church has nothing to do with the claims against Haggis nor does it have any relation to the accusers or to the attorneys litigating the case.”