Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis shall be allowed to argue that the Church of Scientology is behind a rape allegation in opposition to him, a decide in New York has dominated.
Haggis, who was individually accused over the summer season of sexually assaulting a lady at an Italian movie pageant, shall be permitted to argue that church members have been concerned in a earlier rape allegation introduced by movie publicist Haleigh Breest relationship again to 2013. That case, stemming from a civil lawsuit pursued by Breest, is about to go to trial subsequent month.
Haggis has claimed that the encounter with Breest was consensual and that the allegation in opposition to him got here in retaliation for his choice to go away Scientology and to change into a vocal critic of it.
“Haggis is not any abnormal defendant in a civil case,” his attorneys wrote in court docket filings seen by Selection. “He's essentially the most public enemy of a infamous, nefarious, highly effective and well-funded establishment which is understood to destroy its detractors.”
In court docket paperwork, Breest’s attorneys have sought to dam that protection at trial, calling it a “speculative fantasy” and saying that neither Breest nor witnesses have any connection to the church. “Haggis has not produced one shred of proof to assist this bogus story,” they've mentioned.
However on Friday, the decide presiding over the case, Sabrina Kraus, dominated Haggis can be permitted to boost the argument in New York state supreme court docket and referenced the director’s “stormy exit from The Church”.
“The jury is entitled to be told of any potential motive [Breest] could have and about [Scientology leaders’] efforts to discredit Haggis,” Kraus wrote. “Haggis ought to have the chance to current proof that may present that the church was, in truth, looking for to embroil Haggis in ruinous, false allegations relating to ladies previous to Breest’s allegations right here.
“He was a member of the church for over 30 years. As a routine a part of membership within the church, he needed to report any ‘sexual transgressions’ outdoors his marriage to the church. He rose to a high place within the church. In an interview in 2011 with the New Yorker, Haggis predicted there can be an allegation made in opposition to him, that the church can be behind the allegation,” the ruling mentioned.
Haggis, who in 2006 gained an Oscar for writing and directing “Crash”, left the church in 2009 over its opposition to homosexual marriage. He later known as the group based by science fiction creator L Ron Hubbard a “cult”, and he cooperated with an article within the New Yorker titled “Going Clear” that was later tailored for a documentary essential of the church.
The movie director’s attorneys have mentioned there may be proof the church was attempting to “discover dust” on him, together with “ruinous, false allegations relating to ladies” earlier than Breest’s rape allegation was made in 2017. They've additionally argued that the Scientology church has come to see Haggis the way in which Iran regards Salman Rushdie, who was the goal of an assassination try in August.
Kraus’s ruling locations Scientology on the heart of two rape trials, one involving Haggis and one other, in Los Angeles, centering on church member and actor Danny Masterson.
Masterson’s accusers in his case have filed a civil swimsuit claiming the church harassed them after they reported him to regulation enforcement. The decide within the legal case in opposition to Masterson has indicated she allowed some dialogue of the church into proof.
In authorized preparations for the New York trial, Breest was denied permission to carry up the Italian allegations in opposition to Haggis. In that case, the director was held underneath home arrest for 16 days. An Italian decide later dominated that there was inadequate proof to proceed to detain him. There are conflicting experiences as to the standing of the investigation itself.
Breest’s attorneys have been profitable in barring Haggis from carry up his funds, nonetheless. He beforehand claimed that the plaintiff’s allegations had prompted emotional misery as a result of it was inconceivable for him to work. Breest shall be permitted to name three different witnesses – every recognized solely as “Jane Doe” – who've additionally made sexual assault allegations in opposition to Haggis.
Breest by no means took her allegations in opposition to Haggis to regulation enforcement for a legal investigation, saying she feared police wouldn’t consider her.
In a press release to Selection, the Church of Scientology mentioned it “has nothing to do with the claims in opposition to Haggis nor does it have any relation to any relation to his accusers.
“The declare is absurd and patently false,” the church’s assertion mentioned.
The church has additionally claimed that Haggis is a “con man” who “conspired with anti-Scientologists to disgrace his personal accusers by ‘accusing’ them of constructing their claims on behalf of the Church of Scientology”.
Post a Comment