Rape case against Paul Haggis in Italy is dismissed. His U.S. lawyer suggests it was a setup

A rape lawsuit against “Crash” Oscar victor Paul Haggis was dismissed Wednesday successful Italy. On Thursday, his U.S. lawyer suggested that the Italian allegations were planned to wounded his chances successful a New York civilian lawsuit that outgo him $10 million.

A justice successful the Italian metropolis of Brindisi ruled that nary enactment acts took spot without consent, Haggis’ lawyers told Reuters connected Wednesday. The pistillate had accused the writer-director of raping her repeatedly implicit the people of 2 days successful 2022 portion they were some successful municipality for Allora Fest, an entertainment-industry event.

“For Mr. Haggis, it is the extremity of a nightmare that has unfairly shattered the vocation of a movie genius and 2006 Oscar winner,” lawyers Michele Laforgia and Daniele Romeo said successful a connection to the ligament service.

After the transgression allegations were made, Haggis was detained by police successful June, past held nether location arrest astatine his edifice until helium was ordered released connected July 4, 2022. He maintained helium was guiltless of the charges.

“Being accused of intersexual violence, thing that I did not do, was devastating and thing I anticipation nary guiltless idiosyncratic volition ever experience,” Haggis said successful a translated interview with Italian quality outlet La Repubblica successful July 2022. An Englishwoman who was 30 astatine the clip said helium forced her to person enactment with him implicit 2 days astatine a bed-and-breakfast successful Puglia and past dropped her disconnected astatine a adjacent airdrome portion she was successful a authorities of confusion.

“As I told the judge, my archetypal mistake was allowing idiosyncratic who I hardly knew to travel and sojourn me. It was foolish,” Haggis said successful the July 12, 2022, interview. “The 2nd mistake was connected the past greeting aft an incidental occurred that I personally recovered peculiarly unpleasant, I decided to extremity this situation; I took this idiosyncratic to the airdrome hours earlier her flight. I’m upset with myself for these errors successful judgement but cannot comprehend that they resulted successful mendacious and damaging accusations against me.”

The “Million Dollar Baby” writer said successful the interrogation that helium mislaid astatine slightest 2 penning jobs due to the fact that of his arrest. On Thursday, the lawyer who represented him successful the October 2022 New York civilian lawsuit said the Italian lawsuit whitethorn person been aimed astatine sabotaging her lawsuit earlier that proceedings began.

“It was ever evident that Paul was wholly guiltless [in the Italian case] — and that this pistillate lied,” lawyer Priya Chaudhry said successful a connection to The Times. “The timing of the lie, and the inevitability that it would beryllium exposed, powerfully suggest her mendacious accusation was planned to sabotage Paul’s different lawsuit connected the eve of proceedings — deliberately engineered to inflict maximum harm and sway media and nationalist opinion.

“Everyone should present question the credibility of a verdict delivered successful the shadiness of a mendacious transgression allegation — 1 strategically timed to make planetary headlines, inflame nationalist opinion, and irreparably taint the people of justice.”

Haggis was recovered liable successful the New York case and ordered to wage $10 cardinal to Haleigh Breest, a erstwhile publicist who worked the reddish carpets astatine movie premieres successful the aboriginal 2010s. Breest accepted a thrust location from Haggis aft a premiere successful January 2013 and agreed to spell to his flat for a portion alternatively of her proposition that they spell to a bar. She accused him of making her execute oral enactment and past raping her. Haggis maintains that the brushwood was consensual. He was not criminally charged.

Chaudhry besides told The Times successful a connection successful 2022 that a just proceedings for Haggis was “impossible” erstwhile the justice admitted the statements of 4 further women — 3 of whom didn’t look successful tribunal — who didn’t spell to the constabulary with their complaints.

“I can’t unrecorded with lies similar this. I volition dice clearing my name,” Haggis said arsenic helium near tribunal aft the verdict, the Associated Press reported astatine the time.

A civilian suit filed by Haggis earlier Breest filed her assertion alleged that she and her lawyer had attempted to extort $9 cardinal successful “hush money” implicit what the manager said was a mendacious rape claim. An appeals tribunal justice threw retired Haggis’ lawsuit successful July 2018, saying it had nary circumstantial allegation that Breest threatened to spell nationalist with her assertion if she weren’t paid. The manager abandoned his entreaty of the determination successful March 2019.