Seth Rogen Speaks About James Franco’s Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Seth Rogen talks about his future plans with collaborator James Franco.
This article is more than 2 years old
For many movie fans, Seth Rogen and James Franco are a match made in comedy heaven. From lighting up together in the uproariously funny Pineapple Express to interviewing Randall Park’s Kim Jong-un in The Interview to braving the world’s end together in This Is The End, the two jokesters have become veritable comedy staples. Now, though, their onscreen partnership may have officially ended.
In a new interview with The Sunday Times (via Deadline), Seth Rogen addressed the sexual misconduct allegations leveled against James Franco in recent years. Here is what the actor had to say about whether or not he would ever work with Franco again after these accusations:
“I don’t know if I can define that right now during this interview. I can say it has changed many things in our relationship and our dynamic.”
There you have it, folks. While Seth Rogen did not explicitly condemn James Franco’s actions or shoot down any possibility of them starring in a movie together again, he did express doubt. It is clear that he is taking these allegations incredibly seriously (as he should). He was silent on the matter for a long time, but now it looks as if he is finally willing to share his thoughts on it in the most professional way possible.
The sexual misconduct allegations brought up against James Franco date back to 2014, when a 17-year-old girl came forward with inappropriate private messages the actor had sent her on Instagram. Franco later admitted that he did indeed send those messages. But four years later, news of his sexually exploitative behavior resurfaced when multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct. Two of these women were former students of his at Studio 4. These women alleged that Franco used his clout as an actor to offer roles to those who took off their clothes or were more willing to engage in sex acts with him in his projects. In 2018, Freaks and Geeks star Busy Philipps published a memoir that included an account of Franco screaming at her and throwing her to the ground on the set of that career-launching show.
In recent years, Seth Rogen has branched out from acting. Among his new endeavors is the marijuana company Houseplant, which started marketing its products back in March. Of course, the guy can still be found in plenty of high-profile Hollywood projects. His new and upcoming projects include voicing Allen the Alien in the recently concluded first season of Invincible, starring in An American Pickle, and voicing Seth Goldberg in Big Mouth.
James Franco, on the other hand, has stayed out of the public eye for the past few years. These allegations have severely impacted his reputation, and if Seth Rogen’s response to the situation is anything to go by, then Franco may have some trouble getting others to work with him going forward.
In February 2021, reports came in that James Franco had settled both lawsuits from his former students, who agreed to drop their allegations. Even after that apparent resolution, though, it seems that Seth Rogen is still hesitant to work with Franco again. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, and if Franco responds to Rogen’s recent comments.
