Francis Ford Cappola ‘grabbed, kissed without consent’, extras and crew allege
Lauren Pagon, an extra in ‘Megalopolis’, revealed that she was shocked when director Francis Ford Coppola unexpectedly kissed her during filming. Other crew members have also claimed that Coppola kissed other female extras and a video of this also went viral a few days ago.
An extra in Francis Ford Coppola’s film ‘Megalopolis’ has revealed she was shocked when the director unexpectedly kissed her during filming. Her statement comes after the release of a video showing Coppola kissing female background actors as he walks through a crowd.
Lauren Pagone, who appeared in several scenes as an extra in ‘Megalopolis’, described how ‘The Godfather’ director Coppola approached her during a nightclub scene, pulled her toward him, hugged her and kissed her while the camera was rolling.
“I was in shock. I didn’t expect him to kiss me and hug me like that. I was taken aback. And I can tell you he came on to me a couple of times,” she told Variety in an interview.
Lauren Pagone, who has recently worked on projects such as Paramount+’s “Mayor of Kingstown” and Apple TV+’s “City on Fire,” described the incident with Francis Ford Coppola as unusual. She said that, unlike her previous experiences, there was no intimacy coordinator present during the filming of the nightclub scene in “Megalopolis.” According to call sheets reviewed by Variety, several female actors were cleared for topless nudity during the scene, though Pagone did not appear nude and wore a top with a plunging neckline.
‘Megalopolis’ intimacy coordinator Samantha Macdonald previously told the same publication that neither she nor Ashley Anderson, the film’s other intimacy coordinator, were on set for the nightclub scene, which was filmed at Atlanta’s Tabernacle Concert Hall on February 14, 2023. “I can’t really explain the reason why they called us when they did or didn’t call us,” Macdonald said.
Earlier, Rena Menz, one of the actresses who appeared in the viral nightclub video, had told deadline Coppola said that ‘he did nothing to make me or anyone on the set feel uncomfortable.’ Coppola has yet to comment on the new allegations against him.
“I don’t want to see anybody speaking for me. I would never speak for that actress,” Pagone said. “I’ve kept my mouth shut. I’ve stayed quiet. But it’s disappointing that she’s saying, ‘Oh, it was great for everybody’ when she doesn’t know what other people were feeling. You can’t speak for anyone but yourself. My experience was different.”
More recently, another cast member told Variety that he saw Coppola kissing “several women” during the New Year’s Eve scene. Before filming, Coppola instructed the extras to act naturally at a holiday party and to kiss at the end of the countdown, saying he himself might join in and kiss a few people. After calling cut, Coppola got up and kissed several women on the cheek as they passed by.
“The women I saw him kiss didn’t see it coming. He just grabbed them and kissed them without any consent,” the person added. “They all laughed for a moment and then I could tell they were just surprised.”
The crew member who shot the video shared by the publication confirmed that Coppola kissed female extras during the New Year’s Eve special, explaining that it was one of many instances when he kissed background performers. “My whole experience on that set was extremely awkward and uncomfortable. It was probably the worst experience I’ve ever had on set,” said the cast member, a veteran of high-profile productions in Atlanta.
Video published by Diversity Supporting a report published in the Guardian in May that claimed 85-year-old director Coppola ‘tried to kiss some topless and scantily clad female extras’, he said he was ‘trying to get them in the mood.’ In one video, Coppola approaches Pagone, pulls her close to him, and is seen hugging and kissing her.
Sources said Coppola, who directed classics such as ‘The Godfather,’ had a free hand on set because he financed the $120 million budget himself, leaving no formal human resources department for complaints. A crew member who shot the video said Diversity Coppola often hugged and kissed several women, often interrupting the shot. Pagone confirmed that the video was taken during a live shot, not during a break.
The crew member said that after several takes, Coppola got on the microphone and announced to everyone in the room, “Excuse me if I have to come over and kiss you. Just know that this is entirely for my pleasure.”
“Megalopolis,” starring Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza and Shia LaBeouf, will be released by Lionsgate on Sept. 27.
