Francis Ford Coppola stämmer Variety på 15 miljoner dollar

Regissören Francis Ford Coppola som ligger bakom storfilmer så som Gudfadern och Apocalypse Now stämmer Variety på över femton miljoner dollar för sveda och värk och för förstört rykte. Variety publicerade en artikel den 26 juli som anklagar regissören för att ha försökt kyssa och tafsa på unga kvinnliga statister mot deras vilja under inspelningen av hans kommande film Megalopolis. Coppola nekar till alla anklagelser och säger att det är "False, reckless and irresponsible reporting."

En del av stämningen lyder så här:
"Writers and editors, hiding behind supposedly anonymous sources, accused Coppola of manifest incompetence as a motion picture director, of unprofessional behavior on the set of his most recent production, Megalopolis, of setting up some type of scheme so that anyone on the set who had a complaint of harassment or otherwise had nowhere to lodge a complaint, and of hugging topless actresses on the set. Each of these accusations was false."

Francis Ford Coppola säger även så här i ett uttalande:

"Nothing in my 60+ years career can equal the painstakingly difficult, yet artistically triumphant journey of bringing Megalopolis to the screen. It was a collaboration of hundreds of artists, from extras to box office stars, to whom I consistently displayed the utmost respect and my deepest gratitude.

To see our collective efforts tainted by false, reckless and irresponsible reporting is devastating. No publication, especially a legacy industry outlet, should be enabled to use surreptitious video and unnamed sources in pursuit of their own financial gain. While I have no intention of litigating this in the media, I will vigorously defend my reputation and have trust in the courts to hold them accountable."

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