Paul Haggis was in court for a pretrial hearing when he was accused of sexually assaulting a British woman.
The 28-year-old woman told police the Oscar-winning Canadian attacked her three times earlier this month, according to the woman, whose identity is known to MailOnline but cannot be revealed.
She claims that after she traveled to Ostuni, Italy, near Brindisi, where he was giving a workshop, he subjected her to a terrifying two-day ordeal.
Judge Vilma Gilli conducted a cross-examination of Haggis, 69, during the pretrial review to allow both the prosecution and defense teams to present their cases.
The woman, a London-born university graduate with experience in the arts, provided her version of events in a protracted eight-hour hearing at Brindisi court that ended just before midnight.
She explained how she had first met Haggis at a film festival earlier in the year, and the two had stayed in touch and decided to meet at the Allora Film Festival in Ostuni earlier this month. (June)
According to the woman’s attorney, Carlo Strata, she “maintained calm and composed” throughout the hearing and stuck to her story about being attacked three times over the course of two days before being abandoned by Haggis at Brindisi Airport at 6am.
Staff discovered her in a messy state and called the police, who held Haggis at his hotel later that day after she had told them what she claims occurred.
Haggis and his attorney Michele Laforgia have insisted that the couple’s sexual activity was consensual; according to Haggis, the woman asked him to help her land a role as a “Bond girl.”
Mr. Laforgia claims that a doctor’s examination of the girl has been “misinterpreted” and was brought on by a problem with a sanitary item.
The girl has since left for London, and Haggis, who is accused of sexual assault, must stay in Italy until the legal authorities decide whether to pursue the case or dismiss it.
Mr. Strata stated following the hearing that his client “confirmed without reservation and with great clarity everything she has already stated in her statement to the police.”
We all had a very long day, and she asked for a few breaks to get coffee and water, but she never lost her cool.
I noticed Mr. Haggis was taking notes, and I hope he will have some time to think about what was said as we wait for the next stage of the legal procedure in the coming days.
Even if we haven’t yet received a full disclosure of Mr. Haggis’ story, we are very appreciative of the prosecution’s and the police’s work in this matter.
It was a pretty drawn-out meeting, and some things were explained; others will be over the course of the next several days, according to Mr. Laforgia.
“Sexual offenses are very severe charges that require careful and extensive investigation, but we are confident that our work will ensure Mr. Haggis’ freedom.”
“Obviously, he is nervous, as anyone charged with such an offense would be, but we continue to insist on his innocence, and we will be asking for the revocation of his home arrest in the coming days,” the statement read.
The 007 blockbusters Quantum of Solace and Casino Royal were co-written by Haggis, who also won an Oscar for best screenplay and best film in 2006 for Crash.
Also an Oscar winner, he also penned the screenplay for Million Dollar Baby.
He has faced legal issues recently as a result of allegations of sexual assault made by four women in the US.
He was sued for sexual assault in New York in 2017 by one of the women, his former publicist Haleigh Breest, who claimed he had forced her to perform oral sex for him before raping her during a 2013 premiere.
She traveled to Italy after meeting the director online, a friend of the woman told MailOnline. She is extremely intelligent and associates with affluent people.
When she told me what had happened, I found it hard to believe.
She is a highly lovely woman who loves the arts and has experience working in London’s galleries.