Francis Ford Coppola, the legendary director behind The Godfather, has come out strongly against recent accusations involving inappropriate behavior on the set of his upcoming film, Megalopolis.
These allegations, which surfaced earlier this year, suggest that Coppola made unwanted advances towards young female extras during production.
The film is set to be released later this month.
Allegations and Legal Actions
In May, Coppola faced accusations that he attempted to kiss topless and scantily clad female extras.
This was followed by the release of two brief videos by Variety that purportedly showed Coppola trying to kiss young women on set.
Coppola, who has firmly denied these claims, has filed a libel lawsuit against Variety and two of its executives.
He argues that the accusations were not only false but made with malicious intent.
Response from Variety and Others
According to Coppola’s lawsuit, he had previously provided evidence to Variety disproving the allegations and asked for a retraction, which was refused.
The lawsuit claims that Variety then repeated the allegations and demonstrated malice towards Coppola.
One of the extras who made claims against Coppola, Lauren Pagone, was featured in a Variety article following the video release.
Pagone alleged that Coppola had pulled her towards him and kissed her during a scene.
She described the encounter as surprising and unsettling, though she noted that she was not nude during the scene.
Additional Context and Filmmaking Dynamics
Pagone’s statement was partly challenged by another extra, Rayna Menz, who clarified on Instagram that the video of her had been misleadingly presented and supported Coppola, describing the experience of working with him as an honor.
Menz also highlighted that the set had strict rules prohibiting personal phone use for safety reasons.
The lawsuit notes that the set had non-disclosure agreements and prohibited private photography.
Coppola’s legal team argues that Variety relied on untrustworthy sources and acted recklessly in reporting the story.
The film’s crew had to sign non-disclosure agreements, emphasizing that any breach made the sources unreliable.
Coppola’s Defense and Project Dynamics
Coppola, who funded the $120 million project himself, has previously stated that the allegations were attempts to damage the film.
He suggested that some of the criticism stemmed from jealousy or resentment toward his unconventional approach to filmmaking.
Though intimacy coordinators Samantha McDonald and Ashley Anderson worked on the film, they were not present during the disputed scene.
Producer Darren Demetre defended Coppola’s actions as part of creating an authentic club atmosphere, and he claimed that no harassment complaints were ever reported during production.
Legal Proceedings and Future Steps
Coppola is seeking $15 million in damages, along with unspecified punitive damages and legal fees.
He is also requesting a jury trial to address the allegations and clear his name.
The case continues as Coppola strives to protect his reputation and the integrity of his film.
TDPel Media
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