Francis Ford Coppola video showing the Megalopolis director, 85, 'trying to kiss young female extras' is 'misleading' - and the extra involved says she's 'disgusted' by the claims

Videos published last week allegedly showing the director Francis Ford Coppola 'trying to kiss young female extras' on the set of his film Megalopolis are now being called 'misleading' by one of the extras featured prominently in them.

On Friday, Variety published two short behind-the-scenes videos shot while Coppola and his crew were filming a club scene in Atlanta that appeared to show the director leaning in to multiple actress who were dancing.

But Raynz Menz, an actress working as one of the extras on the film who was seen in one of the two videos, said in a statement posted Tuesday to her Instagram Stories that she was 'disgusted' by allegations that Coppola had behaved unprofessionally.

While speaking to Deadline, Menz claimed that the 85-year-old Oscar winner 'did nothing to make me or for that matter anyone on set feel uncomfortable.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to a representative for Coppola requesting comment.

 Videos published last week week allegedly showing director Francis Ford Coppola, 85, 'trying to kiss young female extras' on the set of his film Megalopolis are now being called misleading by one of the extras featured prominently in them; pictured May 17 in Cannes, France

On Friday, Variety published two short behind-the-scenes videos shot while Coppola and his crew were filming a club scene in Atlanta that appeared to show the director leaning in to multiple actress who were dancing and allegedly kissing them

In her Instagram statement, Menz wrote that Variety's story had a 'misleading headline.' 

'None of the claims about @francisfordcoppola are true; it was an honor to work with such a legend,' she wrote. 'This video was taken on a CLOSED set that prohibited self phones [sic] specifically for the safety of all actors. 

'I am disgusted by these allegations & hope everybody will see the truth for what it is,' Menz added.

In another longer video showing Coppola — who was announced as an upcoming Kennedy Center Honors recipient earlier this month — interacting with multiple actresses, he appears to kiss at least on on the cheek, but it's unclear if he kissed other women, as he was seen from behind and at a significant distance. 

While speaking to Deadline, Menz reiterated that she 'felt disgusted' and was 'blindsided' by the publication of the videos because the scene in question allegedly had a 'closed set,' in which the crew is reduced to the absolute minimum and outside visitors are barred.

Closed sets are typically used in situations in which actors are filming nude scenes, or sometimes for particularly emotional scenes that may be disrupted by extraneous people on set.

'That someone had video of that is just ridiculous and super unprofessional,' Menz continued.

It's unclear if the person or persons who shot the videos were allowed to be on the allegedly closed set, and if there were any prohibitions against filming the shoot.

But Raynz Menz, an actress working as one of the extras on the film who was seen in one of the two videos, said in a statement posted Tuesday to her Instagram Stories that she was 'disgusted' by allegations that Coppola had behaved unprofessionally

While speaking to Deadline , Menz claimed that the 85-year-old Oscar winner 'did nothing to make me or for that matter anyone on set feel uncomfortable'

In addition to the Variety piece, a Hollywood Reporter piece claimed that the budget on his Adam Driver–starring epic Megalopolis was ballooning, but a source close to Coppola later told Variety that it came in 'on budget' and 'on time'; still from Megalopolis 

'It’s gross because he only ever spoke about how wonderful his wife is,' Menz said, adding that Eleanor Coppola was on set most days. The videos were published as Coppola was heading to a memorial service for Eleanor, who died in April at 87; pictured in France in 2019

'It’s gross because he only ever spoke about how wonderful his wife is,' Menz said, referring to the documentarian and filmmaker Eleanor Coppola, who died in April at age 87. 'His wife was on set with us, most days. It feels gross, seeing that video and they way they were trying to convey a message. Just gross.'

According to Deadline, the release of the on-set videos caused 'much pain' for Coppola, as the story was published as he was en route to meet up with his children and relatives for a family memorial service dedicated to Eleanor. 

She met Coppola while working on the set of his feature directorial debut, the low-budget horror film Dementia 13 (1963), and the two married later that year. She was best known for directing the classic documentary Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, which took a behind-the-scenes look at Coppola's famously troubled production of Apocalypse Now.

Francis and Eleanor had three children: the filmmakers Sofia and Roman Coppola, and their oldest son Gian-Carlo, who was killed in a tragic boat accident in 1986 at only 22. 

Griffin O'Neal, the son of the late actor Ryan O'Neal, who had been cast in Coppola's film Gardens Of Stone at the time, later pleaded guilty to negligent operation of a boat and was recast in Coppola's film. 

Menz continued, claiming that allegations that Coppola had been unprofessional with his female actors were 'all false.' 

'In fact, I was the one who asked him to dance,' she said of the video featuring her. '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,"' she recalled. 'And then we waltzed, to club music.'

Menz said, 'In fact, I was the one who asked him to dance. I asked him to dance, in front of everybody else'; Coppola pictured in 2022 in Hollywood 

She called Coppola 'nothing but professional, a gentleman,' and said 'he was like this cute Italian grandfather, running around the set.' 

'It was just so much fun. He’s a nice generous person,' Menz added.

The story also noted that Coppola's epic Megalopolis allegedly came in 'on time' and 'on budget,' contrary to a Hollywood Reporter story in which a production source claimed the budget was ballooning and raised questions about whether filming would have to be halted.

Coppola eventually put in $120 million of his own money — much of which came from his eponymous wine business — to finance the film, and he is also responsible for self-funding its promotion.