Francis Ford Coppola, the celebrated director of the Godfather movies and Apocalypse Now, sued the Hollywood trade magazine Variety and two of its editors for libel this week after it reported that he had behaved unprofessionally on the Megalopolis set, including by trying to kiss extras.

Coppola, 85, is seeking at least $15 million in damages.

The Variety article, published in July, said Coppola had pulled women onto his lap and tried to kiss them during the filming of a nightclub sequence. The article included two videos from the set in which the director appears to be trying to kiss extras..

The claims echoed those in an article that was published by The Guardian in May. An executive co-producer of the film, which is scheduled to open in theatres this month, told The Guardian that he had heard no complaints of misconduct and that Coppola’s behaviour during that sequence was intended to “establish the spirit of the scene”.

Libel cases brought by public figures face a high bar in the US. People who file such suits must prove not only that a falsehood harmed their reputation, but that the publisher knowingly or recklessly disregarded the truth.

“To see our collective efforts tainted by false, reckless and irresponsible reporting is devastating,” Coppola said on Wednesday, the day his suit was filed.

“No publication, especially a legacy industry outlet, should be enabled to use surreptitious video and unnamed sources in pursuit of their own financial gain.”

New York Times News Service