Paul Haggis' ex-wife says she's afraid of Church of Scientology backlash for testifying at his trial

• Paul Haggis' ex-wife Deborah Rennard testified in the filmmaker's defense on Wednesday.

• Rennard said she felt compelled to speak out but worried about Church of Scientology backlash.

• Haggis' attorneys have suggested he is being framed for becoming a vocal critic of Scientology.

The ex-wife of Paul Haggis, the "Crash" director accused of rape, took the stand in the filmmaker's defense on Wednesday but said she fears backlash for her testimony from the Church of Scientology.

Haggis, whose civil trial is being held in New York Supreme Court, is being sued by publicist Haleigh Breest, who alleges the writer and director raped her at his Manhattan apartment in January 2013. Haggis contends that the sex was consensual.

Deborah Rennard said she felt compelled to testify in Haggis' defense but worried about how the church would react to her speaking publicly about it.

Haggis' legal team has tried to frame the lawsuit as a ploy by the church to discredit Haggis, who became one of the religion's most public critics after defecting.

Rennard said she left the Church of Scientology along with Haggis in 2009.

"I left the church in a non-public way. I hadn't been harassed by them and now this is public so maybe that will change," Rennard said.

About mid-way through Rennard's testimony, a group of about a dozen people stood up in unison and left the courtroom quietly. The same group had arrived together Wednesday morning, filing into the courtroom late.

Karin Pouw, a spokesperson for the Church of Scientology, told Insider previously that "the church has nothing to do with the claims against Haggis nor does it have any relation to his accusers."

"I repeat: the church has nothing to do with Haggis' accusers nor their attorneys. The church has never been involved in any way, financially or other," Pouw added."Haggis, a con man, continues to shop his scripted story to any who will buy it."

At the time of the alleged rape, Haggis was married to Rennard, but the two were separated, Rennard testified.

"I find it really, really hard to believe," Rennard said of Breest's allegations. "It has nothing to do with my experience and knowledge of Paul in the 30 years I've known him."

"Paul in my experience… has always championed the underdog and he's now the underdog and I couldn't live with myself if I didnt come here and tell the truth and defend him," Rennard said.

Since the trial began, Breest's lawyers have called to the stand four other women who allege they had similar encounters with Haggis.

On cross examination, Rennard admitted she was being paid $20,000 a month in alimony when she wrote a public letter in support of Haggis after Breest went pubic with her rape accusation.

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