Francis Ford Coppola sues Variety for publishing claims he hugged several extras on set “The director seeks $15 million in damages and… See more

Francis Ford Coppola has filed a defamation lawsuit against Variety after the Hollywood trade publication released an article alleging that the director behaved inappropriately on the set of Megalopolis, claiming he hugged and kissed extras during a scene.

The lawsuit, covered by outlets like Deadline, was filed in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday. In it, the Godfather director asserts that Variety knew the accusations were false and that the claims were made with the intent to “harm” his reputation and cause him “emotional distress.” Coppola is seeking $15 million in damages and a jury trial.