James Franco Breaks Silence After Sexual Misconduct Allegations

This is the extremity for James Franco and Seth Rogen's friendship.

Three years aft Rogen expressed regret for initially lasting by Franco amid intersexual misconduct allegations and said helium didn’t spot them moving again, the 127 Hours actor shared an update connected wherever they stand.

"No. I haven’t talked to Seth," Franco told Variety successful an interrogation published Oct. 25. "I emotion Seth, we had 20 large years together, but I conjecture it’s over. And not for deficiency of trying. I’ve told him however overmuch he’s meant to me."

Franco—who archetypal worked with Rogen connected the beloved ‘90s bid Freaks and Geeks and aboriginal costarred successful films specified arsenic Pineapple Express, This Is The End, The Interview and The Disaster Artist—faced a assortment of allegations of sexual misconduct in the precocious 2010s, including from respective erstwhile acting students successful 2018, though helium denied immoderate wrongdoing astatine the time.

The pursuing year, helium was sued successful a class-action suit by 2 erstwhile acting students, alleging intersexual harassment, exploitation and coercion. The lawsuit was settled for $2.2 million.

But portion Rogan initially showed enactment for his longtime friend, confirming to Vulture in a 2018 interrogation that the allegations made against Franco successful the property didn’t alteration thing astir his willingness to enactment with him successful the future, helium aboriginal admitted the allegations took a toll connected their friendship and moving relationship.

"I besides look backmost to that interrogation successful 2018 wherever I remark that I would support moving with James," helium told The Sunday Times successful 2021, "and the information is that I person not and I bash not program to close now.”

Franco responded to Rogen's comments months later.

"I emotion Seth Rogen," helium noted connected The Jess Cagle Show successful December 2021. "I worked with him for 20 years. We didn't person 1 combat for 20 years. Not 1 fight. He was my implicit closest enactment friend, collaborator. And we conscionable gelled and what helium said is true, we aren't moving unneurotic close present and we don't person immoderate plans to enactment together. Of people it was hurtful, successful context, but I get it."

And helium further shared penetration into wherever helium had crossed the enactment with his students—but stressed ne'er with anyone progressive successful the lawsuit. "Look, I'll admit I did slumber with students," helium said. "I didn't slumber with anybody successful that peculiar class. But, implicit the people of my teaching, I did slumber with students and that was wrong."

The actor's vocation stalled for years successful aftermath of the allegations. However, this year, Franco returned to the surface for the archetypal clip successful 5 years, appearing connected the TV series Karantina and the movie The Price of Money: A Largo Winch Adventure.

"I’m truthful grateful to beryllium working," Franco told Variety. "I did spell done a lawsuit, and during that suit I wasn’t working. But past COVID hit, truthful everybody wasn’t working."

He continued, "Whatever had been going connected with maine before, I had to alteration my full mode of life. So I americium arrogant of the benignant of enactment I did during that time. And yeah, I wasn’t moving successful movies, but I surely was doing a batch of enactment to alteration who I was."

And these days, Franco is focused connected the future.

"I mean, it is what it is," helium said. "I’ve honestly moved past it. It was dealt with, and I got to change. So that’s it, it’s over."