Film Director Haggis Cleared of Rape Charges in Puglia
Puglia: Oscar-winning film director Paul Haggis was cleared of rape by a judge in Puglia on Tuesday evening. Canadian Haggis, 72, who achieved acclaim for writing and directing the 2006 film Crash, faced allegations from a 30-year-old British woman who accused him of raping her in a bed and breakfast over three days leading up to a film festival in Ostuni.
According to Ansa News Agency, Haggis had spent 14 days under house arrest in June 2022 due to the allegations. His lawyers expressed relief at the verdict, stating, “For Haggis, it is the end of a nightmare that unfairly ended the career of a cinema genius, Oscar winner in 2006, director and screenwriter appreciated throughout the world.”
Haggis, known for his contributions to the film industry, also wrote the Oscar-winning boxing and end-of-life drama Million Dollar Baby in 2004, directed Crash in the same year, and co-wrote Clint Eastwood’s WWII drama Flags of Our Fathers in 2006. He extended his talents to co-writing the James Bond films Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.
However, in a separate civil trial in November 2022, Haggis was found liable for allegedly raping publicist Haleigh Breest in 2018 and was ordered to pay $10 million in damages. In the Puglia case, prosecutors had previously requested that charges be dismissed.
The final decision to clear Haggis of the charges in Puglia was made by a preliminary investigations judge, or GIP, in Brindisi.