An extra on the set of “Megalopolis” who claims she was unwillingly kissed by director Francis Ford Coppola has spoken out on the incident that she says left her “in shock.”
Lauren Pagone told Variety she “was caught off guard” when, in the midst of filming a nightclub scene last year, she was kissed and hugged by the 85-year-old filmmaker.
“I was in shock. I didn’t expect him to kiss and hug me like that,” said Pagone, who was one of the women seen in videos of the Oscar-winning director grabbing scantily clad female extras, as published by Variety last week.
“I can tell you he came around a couple times,” she said.
The footage was reportedly captured by an unnamed crew member who was present for most of the sci-fi film’s shoot, and said the nightclub scene was one of several times Coppola kissed background actors.
Another performer on the set confirmed they had seen the “Godfather” director grab and kiss “multiple women” during a different scene “without any kind of consent.”
“My entire experience being on that set was super weird and uncomfortable,” they told Variety. “It was probably the worst experience for me on a set ever.”
As one source told the outlet last week, “there was no HR department to keep things in check,” given Coppola funded the entire $120 million film himself.
However, others involved in the production have questioned the claims and criticized the release of the videos.
Earlier this week, another actress in the footage told Deadline that Coppola “did nothing to make me, or for that matter anyone on set, feel uncomfortable.”
“That someone had video of that is just ridiculous and super unprofessional,” said Rayna Menz.
“It’s gross because he only ever spoke about how wonderful his wife is. His wife was on set with us most days,” Menz said, referring to the late Emmy-winning Eleanor Coppola, who died in April.
Menz’s remarks prompted Pagone to lend her voice to the conversation: “I don’t appreciate anybody speaking for me,” she told Variety.
“I’ve kept my mouth shut. I’ve kept quiet,” she added. “But it’s frustrating … when she doesn’t know what other people were feeling. You can’t speak for anyone but yourself. My experience was different.”
The Guardian was the first to report on the alleged behavior back in May, more than two months before the videos surfaced. Several sources told the outlet that Coppola displayed “old school” behavior on the set. In addition to allegedly pulling women onto his lap, sources pointed to the nightclub scene specifically, where they also claimed Coppola tried to kiss the extras, some of whom were topless.
The insiders alleged the director explained away his antics by saying he’d been “trying to get them in the mood” for the celebratory scene.
The accusations made in The Guardian came two months before Coppola was named as part of the 47th annual class of Kennedy Center honorees.
