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An extra who was seen on video being kissed by Megalopolis director Francis Ford Coppola has spoken out, saying she was left “in shock” by the incident.
Last week, footage of the legendary director kissing extras on the set of his new dystopian drama surfaced months after he was accused of inappropriate on-set behavior.
Two clips, reportedly taken by a crewmember and published by Variety, showed Coppola roaming around a dance floor scene in the film as he hugged and kissed female extras.
Variety’s source claimed that after several takes, the director announced over a microphone: “Sorry, if I come up to you and kiss you. Just know it’s solely for my pleasure.”
In a new report, one of the women in the video, Lauren Pagone, who appeared in multiple scenes in Megalopolis as an extra, said: “I was in shock. I didn’t expect him to kiss and hug me like that. I was caught off guard. And I can tell you he came around a couple times.”
Coppola’s representatives did not immediately respond to The Independent’s request for comment.
Pagone came forward after another of the extras denied that Coppola had been inappropriate on set.
“He did nothing to make me or for that matter anyone on set feel uncomfortable,” Rayna Menz, who also appears in the video, told Deadline earlier this week.
“I felt disgusted, I was blindsided by it because it was a closed set. That someone had video of that is just ridiculous and super unprofessional. It’s gross because he only ever spoke about how wonderful his wife is. His wife was on set with us, most days. It feels gross, seeing that video and they way they were trying to convey a message. Just gross.”
She continued: “He was nothing but professional, a gentleman, he was like this cute Italian grandfather, running around the set,” she added. “It was just so much fun. He’s a nice generous person.”
Pagone reportedly decided to speak out after reading Menz’s comments. “I don’t appreciate anybody speaking for me. I would never speak for that actress,” she told Variety. “I’ve kept my mouth shut. I’ve kept quiet. But it’s frustrating that she’s putting out there, ‘Hey, it was great for everyone’ when she doesn’t know what other people were feeling. You can’t speak for anyone but yourself. My experience was different.”
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In May, the day before Megalopolis had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, The Guardian published a report alleging “chaotic behavior” on the set, including Coppola reportedly “pulling women to sit on his lap” and “trying to kiss some of the topless and scantily-clad female extras.”
Coppola denied the allegations, telling The New York Times in an interview: “I’m not touchy-feely. I’m too shy.”
“My mother told me that if you make an advance toward a woman, it means you disrespect her, and the girls I had crushes on, I certainly didn’t disrespect them,” he said.
Following a months-long search for a distributor, Megalopolis was finally acquired by Lionsgate in June and will be released in US and Canadian theaters on September 13.
The dystopian drama, which received a mixed reaction from audience members at the premiere, stars Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina, an architect-scientist who wants to build a better version of a fictionalized New York City called New Rome. Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Giancarlo Esposito and Jon Voight also feature.
