Filmmaker Haggis testifies in rape lawsuit against him

Screenwriter and film director Paul Haggis arrives at court for a sexual assault civil lawsuit, Wednesday, November 2, 2022, in New York (Julia Nikhinson/AP/PA)

Filmmaker Paul Haggis entered the witness box on Wednesday in the trial of a rape lawsuit against him, but he did not immediately discuss the sexual assault claims of five women who have testified.

Instead, the Oscar-winning screenwriter and director began what could be days of testimony by focusing on his years-long clash with the Church of Scientology.