Last Friday, Variety, a sister publication, released what it described as an exclusive video featuring Francis Ford Coppola kissing extras from his upcoming film Megalopolis. The video included crew members who alleged unprofessional behavior on set. Although the story failed to gain significant traction, it reportedly caused distress for the filmmaker, who learned about it while en route to a family memorial for his late wife, Eleanor Coppola, the director of the renowned documentary Heart of Darkness, to whom he was married for over 60 years.
In response to the claims made in the video, Rayna Menz, one of the extras featured, has publicly denied any allegations of misconduct by Coppola. Menz took to Instagram to express her disgust over the insinuation that Coppola behaved anything but professionally. She stated, “He did nothing to make me or, for that matter, anyone on set feel uncomfortable. 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 the way they were trying to convey a message. Just gross.”
Menz further emphasized that the allegations were untrue, stating, “It was all false. In fact, I was the one who asked him to dance. I asked him to dance in front of everybody else. That’s why it’s so funny that this story came out. He even said something along the lines of—mind you, it was over a year ago, so this is not a proper quote—but he said something like, ‘I’m a gentleman, and I would never say no to a lady.’ And then we waltzed to club music.”
She described Coppola as a professional and a gentleman, likening him to a “cute Italian grandfather” and adding, “It was just so much fun. He’s a nice, generous person.”
This incident follows a series of aggressive reports, including one from another sister publication, The Hollywood Reporter, which suggested that Coppola’s production was chaotic after he let go of some crew members. Coppola has maintained that his film was completed on time and within budget. There are growing concerns about the motivations behind these reports, especially at a time when Coppola is mourning the loss of his wife. Many believe it would be more appropriate to celebrate Coppola’s bold decision to invest $120 million of his own money into Megalopolis. Regardless of personal opinions about the film, Coppola’s commitment to a project he has envisioned for decades deserves recognition. Observers wonder why the media does not afford him the dignity and respect he warrants, particularly when he is grieving.
