Seth Rogen Says He Will Not Work With James Franco Any Time Soon, Following Multiple Accusations Of Sexual Misconduct Against The Actor
Josh Berger
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Seth Rogen has recently revealed that he has no plans to work with fellow actor James Franco. Rogen’s comments come after repeated sexual misconduct allegations — including sexually exploitative behaviour and harassment — made against Franco.
“What I can say is that I despise abuse and harassment and I would never cover or conceal the actions of someone doing it, or knowingly put someone in a situation where they were around someone like that,” explained Rogen in an interview with The Times, via Yahoo! Entertainment.
Source: Stephen McCarthy/Collision via Sportsfile – Collision Conf from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Related: Golden Globe Winner James Franco Faces Multiple Accusations of Sexual Misconduct
Rogen also took the time to talk about a jab he took at James Franco when he hosted Saturday Night Live in 2014. He specifically spoke about how he joked about posing as a young girl on Instagram to prank him, further adding that Franco had “seemed unfazed.”
“I decided to prank James Franco. I posed as a girl on Instagram. Told him I was way young. He seemed unfazed. I have a date to meet him at the Ace Hotel,” joked Rogen during his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live.
As per Yahoo! Entertainment, Rogen told The Times that he “very much regrets making that joke,” and went so far as deeming it “terrible” in hindsight.
Rogen then briefly touched on the possibility of working with Franco again, especially after everything that has happened since they last worked together on The Disaster Artist.
“I also look back to that interview in 2018 where I comment that I would keep working with James, and the truth is that I have not and I do not plan to right now,” Rogen added.
Source: Pineapple Express(2008) Sony Pictures Entertainment, YouTube
Franco and Rogen have been working together since stoner comedy Pineapple Express released in theatres back in 2008 — ever since, they’ve produced other comedies that include The Interview (2014) and the critically acclaimed The Disaster Artist (2017).
For his portrayal of Tommy Wiseau in The Disaster Artist, Franco was awarded a Golden Globe in 2018. Following his when he would be accused of sexual misconduct by a handful of former students of Studio 4, which is an acting and filmmaking school that the actor founded in 2014 and was eventually shut down in 2017.
Source: Steven Anderson, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Related: James Franco Reaches Settlement In Acting School Sexual Misconduct Lawsuit
The New York Times reported that a lawsuit against James Franco had been filed in October of 2019 by former Studio 4 students Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal.
In February of this year it was revealed that James Franco had reached a settlement in the lawsuit filed by Tither-Kaplan and Gaal, who claimed that the actor had exploited them during their time as Studio 4 students.
While Seth Rogen is openly condemning abusive behaviour and harassment, and is unwilling to work with Franco in the near future, he has actually been accused of enabling his friend in the past.
Source: The Interview(2014), Sony Pictures Entertainment, YouTube
Just last month, in fact, actor Charlyne Yi said she was “Disgusted by white men choosing power over protecting children and women from predators.”
She then proceeded to specifically name Franco and Rogen, “White men saying it’s not their responsibility when holding Franco accountable, or when holding Seth Rogen and enablers accountable. Then whose responsibility is it?”
Yi continued, “The women and children who have PTSD from Franco? Or the future targets of abuse? White men perform infantilism when it comes to sacrificing their white supremacy & patriachy[sic] bc they actually don’t give a f***.”
Source: Charlyne Yi, Instagram
Related: Actress Charlyne Yi Accuses Seth Rogen Of Enabling James Franco “Preying On Children”
Charlyne Yi, who worked with Franco and Rogen in The Disaster Artist, went on to call out Seth Rogen for his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live, while also accusing Franco of preying on children.
“Seth also did a sketch on SNL with Franco enabling Franco preying on children. Right after Franco was caught, Yi expressed on an Instagram story.
She then claimed, “Franco has a long history of preying on children. This is on top all the corrupt laws that protect predators made by violent white men.”
Source: This Is The End (2013) Columbia Pictures, YouTube
This is the first time that Seth Rogen has addressed the allegations against James Franco’s sexual misconduct, after remaining silent since these first surfaced early in 2018.
It is worth noting that Rogen’s recent statements could well be attributed to Charlyne Yi’s accusations, since he has seen what Franco has gone through, and he may not want to be cancelled for enabling his friend’s exploitative behaviour.
What do you make of Seth Rogen’s statements? Let us know in the comments section down below or on social media.
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