Paul Haggis rape trial: Fourth woman testifies against director over alleged assault at 2015 TIFF

Washington, DC

During Oscar award-winning director Paul Haggis' rape trial, on Thursday, a former freelance television producer testified that the 69-year-old assaulted and attempted to rape her at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

According to a report by Variety, the woman claimed that Haggis sexually pursued her before she fled into her apartment building following the TIFF event.

"It made me feel like he was somebody not only to be emotionally feared, he was somebody to be physically feared," she shared in her testimony. "My personal well-being was in jeopardy. It was a terrifying feeling."

She was allegedly introduced to Haggis by her boss at a gathering for the non-profit Artists for Peace and Justice during TIFF. The accuser, who was 26 at the time the alleged assault took place, described her initial encounters with the filmmaker as professional. However, as the night progressed, she felt a dynamic shift in his behaviour, becoming convinced he was deliberately following her in a manner that seemed odd.

The next day, Haggis emailed her asking to get coffee in the morning, and she agreed as a professional courtesy. "I was going to be working in this industry for a long time," she said. "I didn’t want to create an enemy if I didn’t have to."

During her second meeting, she recalled feeling discomfort as Haggis was making "very degrading" comments about his ex-partner. "He used the term ‘bitch.’ He used the term ‘crazy actress,’" she said. "He’s talking about her pleasuring him and how she was the best at doing it. At that point, I started to tune into where this person’s head was at."

Jane Doe No. 4 further stated that it wasn’t until that night that Haggis began to actively pursue her. At the premiere of 'Spotlight', Haggis allegedly made some phone calls to ensure his proximity with the accuser in the theatre. "We were not seated close to the people I knew," she said. "It felt very manipulated."

During the film’s afterparty, the woman said she started getting squeamish because Haggis kept handing her drinks and following her around. "He put his hand on the small of my back and began introducing me to people," she said.

The woman eventually managed to escape to the bathroom, where she recalled amping herself up to confront the director for his inappropriate behaviour.

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According to reports, jurors in a lower Manhattan courtroom saw a video deposition of the woman from 2019, who recalled feeling emotionally and physically threatened at the time of their encounter.

Haggis is currently fighting a civil rape lawsuit from former film publicist Haleigh Breest, who accused the filmmaker of forcing her to perform oral sex on him and then raping her in his apartment in 2013 after a movie premiere.

So far, four other women have accused Haggis of assault. All of them have remained anonymous to maintain their privacy. Breest's attorneys are using their testimonies to prove that Haggis' alleged actions against her are part of a pattern of behaviour. Breest originally filed the lawsuit in December 2017, although proceedings were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.