Disgraced Hollywood writer and director Paul Haggis is paying a steep price to make a rape verdict disappear from the headlines. The Oscar winner has agreed to shell out about 2 million dollars to settle a civil rape lawsuit after a New York jury found him liable for sexually assaulting a woman less than half his age.
The case centered on a 2013 encounter after a movie premiere. The woman, a young publicist at the time, said Haggis invited her back to his apartment and then forced her into sex. A civil jury believed her. They rejected Haggis claim that the encounter was consensual and ruled that he raped her, delivering a verdict that rocked his career and reputation.
Now, years later, Haggis has paid to shut it all down. The settlement allows him to walk away without further court battles, but it does not erase the jury verdict or the disturbing details that came out at trial. To critics, it looks like a powerful man using his money to limit the fallout after being held responsible in court.
This was not the only rape allegation tied to Haggis. In Italy, another woman came forward with a similar story involving an encounter in 2013. That criminal case was dismissed in 2025, but the outcome did little to quiet critics. Italy’s justice system operates very differently from the US system, with less transparency and no public jury weighing testimony the way it happened in New York. For many observers, the Italian dismissal did not cancel out the civil verdict in the United States. Instead, it added to the sense of a troubling pattern.
Behind the scenes, Haggis had famous friends rushing to his defense. Actress Leah Remini, a longtime friend, testified for him at trial and publicly stood by him. Journalist Tony Ortega also defended Haggis in commentary, casting doubt on the case and its coverage. Their support sparked backlash from those who felt loyalty to a powerful man was once again drowning out the voice of a woman who said she was raped.
Haggis still denies wrongdoing. But the bottom line is hard to ignore. A jury believed a young woman who said he raped her, and he is now paying millions of dollars to put that verdict behind him. For many, the settlement feels less like justice and more like another Hollywood ending where money talks and survivors are left with scars that no check can erase.
Sources:
https://variety.com/2026/film/news/paul-haggis-rape-accuser-2-million-1236627708/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/11/10/paul-haggis-liable-rape-lawsuit/
