Paul Haggis files lawsuit against alleged blackmailer

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The director and screenwriter says he was recently approached by an attorney
The attorney says he represents a woman named Haleigh Breest who said that Haggis committed an act of 'gender violence' against her five years ago
Haggis said after he contacted the attorney, he demanded $9million to drop the litigation
Haggis said the lawsuit may be retribution orchestrated by the church of Scientology, an organization he left in 2009 after being a member for 35 years

Published: 00:27, 16 December 2017 | Updated: 04:01, 16 December 2017

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Two-time Oscar winner Paul Haggis (pictured) says he was recently approached by an attorney

Academy Award winning director and screenwriter Paul Haggis claims that a woman is attempting to extort him out of $9million after she threatened to go public with sexual assault allegations.

According to a lawsuit filed by Haggis and obtained by The Blast, the 'Million Dollar Baby' screenwriter said he was recently approached by an attorney on behalf of a woman named Haleigh Breest.

Haggis claims the attorney presented him with an unfiled lawsuit along with a letter which accuses him of committing an act of 'gender violence' against Breest five years ago.

The letter also entreats the Hollywood artist to contact the attorney if he was 'interested in discussing a resolution of this matter without resort o litigation.'

On December 11, 2017, Haggis says he placed a phone call to the unknown attorney who promptly asked for a $9,000,000 settlement 'in order to avoid the threatened lawsuit.'

Rejecting the offer, Haggis filed his own lawsuit on Friday, claiming he could not have committed any violence against Breest due to surgery he received for chronic back pain just days before the alleged assault occurred.

'Plaintiff had surgery to correct that medical issue shortly before the night Defendant claimed this 'violence' occurred, requiring him to wear a post-surgical back brace continuously at the time,' court documents state.

'He was under a restriction against severe exertion and was unable to lift anything more than a light grocery bag during his recovery period,' the paperwork adds.

Haleigh Breest (L) and Madonna attend THE CINEMA SOCIETY & BING host the after party for 'A SINGLE MAN' at Monkey Bar on December 6, 2009

Breest has yet to publicly comment about the allegations or Haggis' lawsuit.

Breest accuses Haggis of raping her on January 31, 2013 at the director's Manhattan apartment.

In offering a rationale to the court for the litigation, Haggis explains that he 'is not going to allow the false narrative threatened by the Defendant to frighten him into capitulating to these outrageous and wholly baseless demands, and is instead going to confront his accuser and seek all available remedies for the harm she has inflicted (and intends to continue to inflict) on him.'

The 'Crash' director adds: 'Defendant's threatened statements were designed to inflict the utmost terror upon Plaintiff, and were presented in the most graphically lurid (false) ways. The tactic of using such extreme emotional abuse was clearly designed to best insure [sic] the ransom would be paid.'

Court filings submitted on Friday on behalf of Breest by attorneys at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP claim that 'The emotional and psychological damage... from the attack cannot be overstated: it has been profound and lasting.'

'Like many victims of sexual assault, due to a combination of trauma, fear, and shame, Ms. Breest refrained for many years from speaking out about the assault,' the document states.

'But Ms. Breest came to realize she could not repress what had happened. She sought mental health treatment and, eventually, gained the courage to come forward.”

The back-to-back Oscar winner acknowledges being acquainted with Breest, who worked as a publicist for a company that hosts events for clients in the film industry, according to The Blast.

Haggis says the two 'occasionally interacted at film-industry events and developed what [Breest] believed was a friendly, and at times flirtatious, relationship.'

Haggis said he has been subjected to a campaign of harassment since leaving the Church of Scientology in 2009 after being an active member for 35 years.

The damages Haggis is seeking remains unclear.

Haggis said the lawsuit may be retribution orchestrated by the church of Scientology, an organization he left in 2009 after being a member for 35 years