On the set of his film “Megalopolis,” child labor coordinator Benjamin Cawood alleged that he observed Francis Ford Coppola kiss a 13-year-old girl, as reported by the Daily Beast.
The Daily Beast reported that Cawood claimed to have observed the 85-year-old director kiss the girl’s cheek and then greet other individuals on the set in February.
He stated that he informed the child’s mother and his superiors about the purported incident; however, a spokesperson for Coppola maintained that no such complaints were recorded.
Cawood stated that his responsibility was to ensure the safety of minor actors on the set, and that the girl appeared “shocked” following the purported incident.
According to the outlet, he stated that he was unaware of the 13-year-old’s identity, as she was an extra, and that she was not included on the call sheet of children for whom he was responsible that day.
The child labor coordinator also asserted that Coppola had allegedly paid extra attention to the girl in question and was observed by him gazing at the extras before filming the movie’s New Year’s Eve scene, according to the outlet.
Cawood claimed that the girl “was just like ‘What?’—like really big eyes, just kind of looking down, didn’t say anything” during the alleged exchange.
Video footage of Coppola purportedly kissing extras on set was initially published by Variety. The director filed a $15 million libel suit against the publication and vehemently denied the allegations.
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