Paul Haggis Set To Take Stand Wednesday In His New York Sexual Assault Trial
02.11.2022 - 03:17
/ deadline.com
Paul Haggis will testify Wednesday in the New York sexual assault civil case brought against him by Haleigh Breest, a lawyer for Haggis said Tuesday. The lawyer, Seth Zuckerman, said that Haggis’ ex-wife, Deborah Rennard, is scheduled to go first, followed by Haggis.
Ten days of testimony have elapsed, with the Oscar-winning filmmaker and former Church of Scientology member watching the trial quietly from his seat at the defense table while his daughters are seated in the gallery directly behind him.
Breest, who is suing Haggis for unspecified damages, testified that he forced her into unprotected oral sex and intercourse in his apartment in Manhattan in 2013. Four other women called to testify by Breest said that Haggis assaulted or tried to assault them sexually in separate incidents between 1996 and 2015.
Haggis says the sex with Breest was consensual and, in court filings and through his lawyers, has said that he has never raped or coerced sex from anyone.
On Tuesday afternoon, a modeling agency executive said Breest telephoned her in 2013 sounding both “confused” and “excited” about a sexual encounter the night before with Haggis. But Lisa Benson, vice president of IMG Models in New York, also testified it is possible that phone call never happened.
Benson was appearing under subpoena as a defense witness for Haggis but said she considers Breest, a former IMG Models intern, “still a close friend” although the two haven’t spoken in person for more then two years. Defense lawyers have shown jurors a text from Benson urging Breest to be “Confident and still flirty” with Haggis next time she saw him.
On the stand, Benson was asked to recount the phone call in which Breest told her she had just slept with a famous