Filmmaker Paul Haggis Accused of Sexual Assault by Four Women

According to The Hollywood Reporter, three additional women have come forward with sexual misconduct allegations toward Paul Haggis, following a civil lawsuit charging the Oscar-winning filmmaker with raping a publicist.

Two of the women speaking out said they managed to get away from Haggis to escape his advances.

Haggis has denied the original rape allegation and said the woman, Haleigh Breest, demanded $9 million to avoid legal action. The other three women wanted to remain anonymous and Breest amended her complaint to include their claims.

All three of the new accusers said that during the early years of their careers, Haggis lured them into private places, tried to kiss them, and then escalated his aggression when they fought back.

One woman accused Haggis of rape, saying that he insisted they speak in a back office to review photos from the show that night, before forcing himself onto her.

Breest's original accusation says that Haggis raped her after luring her back to his apartment when he offered to give her a ride home from a film premiere in 2013.

Haggis has written back-to-back Best Picture winners Million Dollar Baby and Crash, which he also directed. He is known for his involvement with charities and his addressing of sensitive topics in his films, such as racism, euthanasia, and war.

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Photo Credit: Racheal McCaig