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Francis Ford Coppola is determined to save his reputation after salacious claims were made against him about his on-set behavior onMegalopolis. In July, Variety came out with the exclusive of crew members detailing unprofessional behavior fromThe Godfatherdirector. Coppola has now sued the publication and sought $15 million in damages.
The news outlet published videos of the director kissing young female extras while filming a nightclub scene. The article by executive editors Tatiana Segel and Brent Lang also revealed accounts from two sources who worked on the film. The report claimed to corroborate another similar report published by The Guardian.
Francis Ford Coppola Sues Variety Over False Allegations Of Inappropriate Behavior
Francis Ford Coppolais set to fight for his reputation as he has filed lawsuits against Variety and its executive editors, Tatiana Segel and Brent Lang, for asalacious report on himin July. According to the court documents, Coppola’s attorneys shared that Variety’s“libel”was made“with knowledge of falsity or with reckless disregard of the truth”(via The Wrap).
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Coppola seeks general and specific damages amounting to $15 million, in addition to legal costs and other unspecified damages. The filing in the Superior Court for California also seeks a trial by jury. In a statement, Coppola shared that he had nothing but the utmost respect and deepest gratitude towards all the artists who worked onMegalopolis.
Coppola shared that the collective effort of the team was tarnished by the irresponsible reporting. He further shared that Variety used“surreptitious video and unnamed sources”for their own financial gain. He further added that he wanted the courts to hold such publications accountable. Coppola shared in the statement (via The Wrap):
To see our collective efforts tainted by false, reckless and irresponsible reporting is devastating. No publication, especially a legacy industry outlet, should be enabled to use surreptitious video and unnamed sources in pursuit of their own financial gain. While I have no intention of litigating this in the media, I will vigorously defend my reputation and have trust in the courts to hold them accountable.
Coppola’s attorneys further shared in the court document that the director had approached Variety with evidence to disprove the claims. However, the publication refused to retract the allegations and doubled down on their claims. The filing stated that the libel was“done intentionally or with a conscious disregard of Coppola’s rights and with an intent to vex, injure, or annoy him.”
Francis Ford Coppola’s Lawsuit Comes Two Days AfterMegalopolisExtra Sued Him
The extra, who came out against the director in the Variety article, has filed a lawsuit against the filmmaker and others. In her filing in Georgia court, Lauren Pagone has accused Coppola and others of civil battery, civil assault, and negligent failure to prevent sexual harassment (via Deadline).
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Pagone stated in the filing that she was“shocked and confused”by the filmmaker’s inappropriate behavior. The filing read,“Plaintiff was not provided with any rider that explained the details for sexual content and/or nudity guidelines on set.”Pagone is seeking unspecified damages and a trial by jury.
The Guardiantoo published a similar story earlier, where a former member of the crew accused the director of trying to kiss“some of the topless and scantily clad female extras”in the film. However, one of the extras seen in the video published by Variety revealed that the claims against Coppola were not true.
In her Instagram story, Rayna Menz shared that she was“disgusted by these allegations”and hoped that“everybody will see the truth for what it is”(via Deadline).
Megalopolisis set to be released in US theaters by Lionsgate on September 27.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
