Francis Ford Coppola extra 'kissed by director', 85, on Megalopolis set breaks her silence after shock videos emerged

An other allegedly kissed by head Francis Ford Coppola connected nan group of Megalopolis has surgery her soundlessness aft shocking videos emerged. 

Last week, Variety published two short behind-the-scenes videos shot while Coppola, 85, and his unit were filming a nine segment successful Atlanta that appeared to show nan head leaning successful to aggregate actresses who were dancing.

One of nan women successful nan video - Lauren Pagone - who appeared successful aggregate scenes successful Megalopolis arsenic an extra, says she was dancing during a unrecorded return of nan nine segment erstwhile Coppola allegedly approached her, pulled her towards him and hugged and kissed her.

She told Variety: 'I was successful shock. I didn’t expect him to buss and hug maine for illustration that. I was caught off-guard. And I tin show you he came astir a mates times.'

Pagone said she decided to travel guardant erstwhile different other seen successful 1 of nan 2 videos, Rayna Menz told Deadline the Oscar victor 'did thing to make maine aliases for that matter anyone connected group consciousness uncomfortable.

She said: 'I don’t admit anybody speaking for me. I would ne'er speak for that actress. I’ve kept my rima shut. I’ve kept quiet. 

'But it’s frustrating that she’s putting retired there, "Hey, it was awesome for everyone" erstwhile she doesn’t cognize what different group were feeling. You can’t speak for anyone but yourself. My acquisition was different.'

Menz did not respond to an email from Variety requesting further comment. 

Pagone - who has worked connected shows including Paramount+’s Mayor of Kingstown and Apple TV+’s City connected Fire said connected each different task she had done, an intimacy coordinator was connected manus during immoderate scenes successful which location was nudity. 

According to a telephone expanse reviewed by nan publication - respective actresses were cleared to spell topless for nan nightclub sequence. Pagone was not nude and wore a apical pinch a plunging neckline. 

Megalopolis intimacy coordinator Samantha McDonald antecedently told Variety that neither she nor chap intimacy coordinator Ashley Anderson were connected group for nan nightclub scene, filmed connected Feb. 14, 2023, astatine Atlanta’s Tabernacle performance hall. 

Another personnel of nan formed claimed to Variety successful caller days that they had seen Coppola kissing 'multiple women' during a different segment involving a New Year’s Eve celebration.

It was claimed earlier filming started  Coppola told nan extras that he 'wanted them to enactment arsenic they would astatine a emblematic vacation statement and buss each different astatine nan extremity of nan countdown' and added that he mightiness jump successful and buss a fewer group himself.'

It was alleged that aft calling cut, Coppola 'got up, stopped aggregate women arsenic they passed him and kissed them connected nan cheek.'

The insider added: 'The women that I saw being kissed did not spot him coming. He conscionable fundamentally grabbed them and planted nan buss connected them without immoderate benignant of consent. They each benignant of laughed it disconnected for a infinitesimal and past I could show that they were conscionable surprised.'

The unit personnel that changeable nan video that Variety initially posted and who was connected group during almost each of nan sprout confirmed that Coppola kissed female extras during nan New Year’s Eve series - and added it was 1 of 'several instances' successful which he had kissed extras.

The formed personnel added their acquisition connected group was 'super weird and uncomfortable' and astir apt their 'worst acquisition connected a group ever'. 

Sources told nan publication because Coppola financed nan $120 cardinal epic himself, location was no-one to kick to astir his alleged behavior. 

The unit personnel besides alleged that Coppola kept 'leaping up to hug and buss respective women, often inadvertently inserting himself into nan changeable and ruining it'.

They claimed that after multiple takes, Coppola sewage connected a microphone and announced to everyone successful nan room: 'Sorry, if I travel up to you and buss you. Just cognize it’s solely for my pleasure.'

Dailymail.com has contacted representatives for Francis Ford Coppola for comment. 

This comes days aft Menz wrote that Variety's communicative had a 'misleading headline' successful an Instagram statement.

'None of nan claims astir @francisfordcoppola are true; it was an grant to activity pinch specified a legend,' she wrote. 'This video was taken connected a CLOSED group that prohibited aforesaid phones [sic] specifically for nan information of each actors. 

'I americium disgusted by these allegations & dream everybody will spot nan truth for what it is,' Menz added.

In different longer video showing Coppola — who was announced arsenic an upcoming Kennedy Center Honors recipient earlier this period — interacting pinch aggregate actresses, he appears to buss astatine slightest connected on nan cheek, but it's unclear if he kissed different women, arsenic he was seen from down and astatine a important distance. 

While speaking to Deadline, Menz reiterated that she 'felt disgusted' and was 'blindsided' by nan publication of nan videos because nan segment successful mobility allegedly had a 'closed set,' successful which nan unit is reduced to nan absolute minimum and extracurricular visitors are barred.

Closed sets are typically utilized successful situations successful which actors are filming nude scenes, aliases sometimes for peculiarly affectional scenes that whitethorn beryllium disrupted by extraneous group connected set.

'That personification had video of that is conscionable ridiculous and ace unprofessional,' Menz continued.

It's unclear if nan personification aliases persons who changeable nan videos were allowed to beryllium connected nan allegedly closed set, and if location were immoderate prohibitions against filming nan shoot.

'It’s gross because he only ever said astir really awesome his woman is,' Menz said, referring to nan documentarian and filmmaker Eleanor Coppola, who died successful April astatine property 87. 'His woman was connected group pinch us, astir days. It feels gross, seeing that video and they measurement they were trying to convey a message. Just gross.'

According to Deadline, nan merchandise of nan on-set videos caused 'much pain' for Coppola, arsenic nan communicative was published arsenic he was en way to meet up pinch his children and relatives for a family memorial work dedicated to Eleanor. 

She met Coppola while moving connected nan group of his characteristic directorial debut, nan low-budget scary movie Dementia 13 (1963), and nan 2 joined later that year. She was champion known for directing nan classical documentary Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, which took a behind-the-scenes look astatine Coppola's famously troubled accumulation of Apocalypse Now.

Francis and Eleanor had 3 children: nan filmmakers Sofia and Roman Coppola, and their oldest boy Gian-Carlo, who was killed successful a tragic vessel mishap successful 1986 astatine only 22. 

Griffin O'Neal, nan boy of nan precocious character Ryan O'Neal, who had been formed successful Coppola's movie Gardens Of Stone astatine nan time, later pleaded blameworthy to negligent cognition of a vessel and was recast successful Coppola's film. 

Menz continued, claiming that allegations that Coppola had been unprofessional pinch his female actors were 'all false.' 

'In fact, I was nan 1 who asked him to dance,' she said of nan video featuring her. 'I asked him to dance, successful beforehand of everybody else. 

'That’s why it’s truthful funny that this communicative came out. He moreover said, thing on nan lines of — mind you it was complete a twelvemonth agone truthful this is not a due quote — but he said thing like, "I’m a gentleman, and I would ne'er opportunity nary to a lady,"' she recalled. 'And past we waltzed, to nine music.'

She called Coppola 'nothing but professional, a gentleman,' and said 'he was for illustration this tiny Italian grandfather, moving astir nan set.' 

'It was conscionable truthful overmuch fun. He’s a bully generous person,' Menz added.

The communicative besides noted that Coppola's epic Megalopolis allegedly came successful 'on time' and 'on budget,' contrary to a Hollywood Reporter story successful which a accumulation root claimed nan fund was ballooning and raised questions astir whether filming would person to beryllium halted.

Coppola yet put successful $120 cardinal of his ain money — overmuch of which came from his eponymous vino business — to finance nan film, and he is besides responsible for self-funding its promotion.