Megalopolis: Francis Ford Coppola reacts to rumors of alleged inappropriate behavior on set

Francis Ford Coppola reacted to rumors that he had inappropriate behavior with women on the set of Megalopolis.

At Cannes, the director was questioned by film critics Manohla Dargisof The New York Timesabout the rumors, to which he responded, “My mom told me that if you make advances toward a woman, that means you disrespect her, and the girls I have a crush on, I certainly don’t disrespect them” (via variety).

“I’m not that expressive,” he continued. “I’m very shy.”

Coppola added that he has known one of the girls he kissed on the cheek since she was nine.

Accusations

Members of the filming crew Megalopolis revealed that the behavior of Francis Ford Coppola behind the scenes may have been inappropriate towards some women. According to anonymous reports made to the The Guardian (via Variety), Coppola “he allegedly pulled women to sit on his lap, for example.”

“And during a bacchanalian nightclub scene being filmed for the feature, witnesses say that Coppola entered the set and tried to kiss some of the half-naked extras. Apparently he claimed he was ‘trying to get them in the mood.'”

Darren Demetrethe film’s executive producer, came to the director’s defense, stating that Coppola actually kissed some extras on the cheek in a friendly way and no one expressed discomfort about the attitude.

“I know and work with Francis and his family for over 35 years. As one of the first assistant directors and executive producers on his new epic, MegalopolisI helped supervise and advise production and ran the second unit. Francis successfully produced and directed a huge independent film, making all the difficult decisions to ensure it was delivered on time and on budget, whilst remaining true to his creative vision,” said Demetre.

“There were two days where we filmed a festive club scene, similar to Studio 54, where Francis walked around the set to establish the mood of the scene, giving gentle hugs and kisses on the cheeks to cast members and extras,” he added.

“It was his way of helping to inspire and establish the club atmosphere that was so important to the film. I was never aware of any complaints of harassment or inappropriate behavior during the course of the project.”