Actor Seth Rogen has revealed this week that his working relationship with long-time friend and colleague, James Franco, may be over.
When speaking with The Sunday Times about his upcoming book, Yearbook, Rogen was asked about his relationship with Franco following Charlyne Yi’s statements last month. The actress worked with both men on the 2017 film The Disaster Artist and called Rogen an enabler of “predator” 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,” Rogen said when asked about his friendship with Franco.
But despite now standing with the accusers, Rogen had previously defended his Freaks and Geeks and Pineapple Express co-star back in a 2018 interview. He said the allegations against Franco wouldn’t prevent him from working with the actor again.
Rogen even joked about Franco allegedly propositioning a 17-year-old girl over Instagram during his guest appearance on Saturday Night Live, which he confesses he now regrets.
“I do look back at a joke I made on Saturday Night Live in 2014 and I very much regret making that joke. It was a terrible joke, honestly,” he told the outlet.
“And 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.”
When further pressed by interviewer Decca Aitkenhead, Rogen confirmed that the strain on their professional relationship has to do with the allegations against Franco.
“I don’t know if I can define that right now during this interview. I can say it, you know, it has changed many things in our relationship and our dynamic,” he said.
“Yeah. But not as painful and difficult as it is for a lot of other people involved.
“I have no pity for myself in this situation.”
While this suggests that Rogen has taken Yi’s criticisms to heart, he notably stopped short of saying that his personal relationship with Franco is over.
Yi also revealed on social media that she tried to quit the film, The Disaster Artist after allegations of sexually predatory behaviour from Franco made her uncomfortable working with him.
“When I tried to break legal contract & quit Disaster Artist because James Franco is a sexual predator, they tried to bribe me with a bigger acting role,” Yi wrote in her post.
“I cried and told them that that was the exact opposite of what I wanted, that I didn’t feel safe working with a fu**ing sexual predator.
“They minimised & said Franco being a predator was so last yr and that he changed … when I literally heard of him abusing new women that week.”
Franco has been the subject of significant controversy for several years now after allegedly propositioning a 17-year-old girl on Instagram when he was 35 in 2014.
While starring in Of Mice and Men on Broadway, he allegedly took a selfie with the Scottish teen, Lucy Clode, and asked her to tag him. She claims he later began messaging her and sent a message in which he offered to rent a hotel room for them.
That allegation was also followed up with claims of sexual misconduct and exploitative behaviour by five women who worked with the star at his former acting school, Studio 4. Franco denied the allegations but two of the women filed lawsuits that were recently settled out of court.
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Written by Brianna O’Rourke
