Filmmaker Paul Haggis was arrested by Italian police Sunday after a woman accused him of sexual assault, according to local reports.
Local prosecutors say a “young foreign woman,” who has not been identified, accused Haggis of a two-day, “non-consensual” encounter that left her in need of medical care, the reports say.
Haggis was arrested in southern Italy after allegedly leaving the woman at the Brindisi airport Sunday “at dawn despite (her) precarious physical and psychological conditions,” the prosecutors say in a statement.
The 69-year-old Haggis, whose films include the Oscar-winning movies “Million Dollar Baby” and “Crash,” has not publicly commented on the allegation. A representative for Haggis didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The woman received treatment at the airport before local police took her to a hospital, the prosecutors claim. Their statement said the woman was in an “obvious confused state” when interacting with police and airport staff.
Haggis traveled to Italy for a film festival in the town of Ostuni. The festival is set to begin Tuesday.
The woman “formalized her complaint and cited circumstances which were subsequently looked into for confirmation by investigators,” the prosecutors said.
Haggis was previously accused in December 2017 of raping publicist Haleigh Breest years earlier, which he denied. He painted that allegation as an extortion attempt in a counterclaim, alleging the woman asked for $9 million before suing. The trial remains pending, according to Variety.
Three more women detailed misconduct allegations against Haggis to The Associated Press in January 2018, with one also accusing the filmmaker of rape. Haggis’ attorney said at the time that he “didn’t rape anybody.”
Later that month, actress Leah Remini and Mike Rinder, who co-hosted the “Scientology and the Aftermath” documentary series together, implied in an open letter that the Church of Scientology could be responsible for the accusations against Haggis.
“We expect the next ‘revelations’ about Paul Haggis in this campaign to destroy him to be based on information culled from his scientology files in the form of more ‘anonymous’ accusers, hiding behind a lawyer who will never have to disclose who is paying their bill,” their letter read.
The Church of Scientology denied any involvement.
Haggis was the screenwriter and producer of the Clint-Eastwood-directed drama “Million Dollar Baby,” which won best picture at the 2004 Academy Awards. Haggis directed, co-wrote and produced the drama “Crash,” which won best picture and best original screenplay the following year.
With News Wire Services
