Oscar-winner Paul Haggis cleared of sex charges in Italy, lawyers say

Oscar-winning screenwriter and director Paul Haggis has reportedly been cleared of sex charges in Italy, according to statements from his legal team.

An Italian judge is said to have dismissed the case against the 72-year-old filmmaker.

The charges stemmed from an incident in June 2022, when a British woman accused him of rape over a two-day period in Ostuni, located in Italy's southern Puglia region. Haggis had been in the area teaching at a film event.

Following the accusation, Haggis was detained and spent 14 days under house arrest.

According to his lawyers, Michele Laforgia and Daniele Romeo, the court judge in Brindisi ruled that no sexual act took place without consent.

In a statement, his legal counsel described the ruling as "the end of a nightmare that has unfairly shattered the career of a film genius and 2006 Oscar winner" for Mr. Haggis.

Haggis is known for co-writing and directing the 2004 crime drama *Crash*, which earned him two Academy Awards. He also wrote the screenplay for *Million Dollar Baby*, a sports drama directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, released in the same year.

His lawyers indicated that Haggis plans to hold a press conference regarding the outcome at their law firm's offices in Bari.

The lawyer representing the woman who filed the complaint was not immediately available for comment.

This Italian criminal case is separate from a civil lawsuit in New York, where a jury in November 2022 ordered Haggis to pay $10 million in damages after finding him liable for raping a publicist in his apartment several years prior.