James Franco says his friendship with Seth Rogen is ‘over’

James Franco reflected on the collapse of his friendship with longtime collaborator Seth Rogen.

The two first met in 1999 while starring in the teen comedy-drama series. Freaks and Nerds and we went on to work together on a number of hit films, including 2008. Pineapple Express2014’s Report and 2017s Disaster Artist.

When Franco was accused of sexual harassment in January 2018, Rogen publicly distanced himself.

In a new interview with DiversityThe two are no longer in contact, Franco said.

“I didn’t talk to Seth,” he explained. “I love Seth, we had 20 wonderful years together but I think it’s over now. And it’s not for lack of trying. “I told him how much he meant to me.”

Five women – including four of Franco’s former students – in 2018 came forward With allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior by the 46-year-old. At the time, Franco said the allegations were “not true” but that he did not want to “shut down” people who “have no voice.”

Two of his accusers, Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal (both of whom attended Playhouse West Studio 4, the school Franco founded in 2014), continued to pursue legal action in 2019.

In June 2021, it was reported that Franco had agreed to pay $2.23 million (£1.67 million) to settle the case, alleging that he and his business partners “engaged in widespread inappropriate and sexually explicit behavior towards female students by sexualizing their powers”. as a teacher and employer by suspending role opportunities in their projects.”

The allegations in the lawsuit referenced a “sex scenes” master class taught by Franco, in which Franco was accused of “intimidating them into showing gratuitous sex scenes.”

elsewhere Diversity In his interview, Franco said that he was “very grateful to work” after appearing in Italian director Claudio Giovannesi’s film. Hi Joe.

“I got into a case and I wasn’t working during that case,” he continued. “But then Covid hit and everyone wasn’t working. So, I don’t know, that’s all… I mean, we were all in it together. So it was kind of like, ‘I don’t know what I am.'”

“But I definitely used this time for a good cause. And whatever happened to me before, I had to change my entire lifestyle. That’s why I’m proud of the work I did during that period. And yes, I wasn’t working in movies, but I was definitely working hard to change who I was.”

He added: “As painful as it is, yes, of course it hurts to be rejected, it hurts to be told you’re bad. But in the end, this was just what I needed to stop going the way I was going.”

Franco said he was “completely blind to power dynamics” when he admitted to having sex with acting students in 2021.