Francis Ford Coppola Sues Variety for Defamation

Francis Ford Coppola has filed a $15 million defamation lawsuit against Variety, claiming a July article falsely accused him of misconduct on the set of his film Megalopolis. The article alleged he behaved unprofessionally, including trying to kiss female extras and lacking appropriate harassment reporting mechanisms. Coppola's lawsuit describes the claims as reckless falsehoods, suggesting they stem from jealousy of his status as a 'creative genius.' The suit targets both the publication and the specific reporters responsible for the story, asserting they acted with deliberate disregard for the truth. Variety has responded by standing by its reporting, though it declined to comment on the ongoing litigation. The controversy comes just weeks before the film's release, amplifying the scrutiny surrounding Coppola's long-anticipated project.