Seth Rogen has ‘no plans’ to work with James Franco following sexual misconduct allegations
Seth Rogen says he has no plans to work with James Franco again following sexual misconduct allegations against the actor — and has responded to Charlyne Yi's claim he was Franco's "enabler."
In an interview with the U.K.'s Sunday Times, Rogen, 39, was asked about Franco, who made headlines in 2014 after propositioning a 17-year-old girl on Instagram and then, in 2018, was accused by five women of sexually exploiting them through his now-shuttered acting school. Rogen and Franco have been frequent collaborators after first working together in 1999's Freeks and Geeks, and Rogen previously defended his friend.
"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 replied when asked if he's given any consideration to the possibility that what Yi said could be true.
"However," he continued, "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."
In the sketch, Rogen read from a journal during his opening monologue, telling the audience he pranked James Franco. "I posed as a girl on Instagram, told him I was way young," he said. "He seemed unfazed. I have a date to meet him at the Ace Hotel." Franco, who appeared films including Sausage Party, Pineapple Express and The Disaster Artist appeared and joined in on the laughs.
Rogen went on to tell the Sunday Times, "I also look back to that interview in 2018 where I comment that I would keep working with James" after the five women came forward, "and the truth is that I have not and I do not plan to right now.”
Asked if the end of their professional relationship was a coincidence, he replied, “No. It is not a coincidence.”
He wouldn't define the status of their friendship.
"I’d say yes," he replied when asked if their friendship has been impacted.
However, he wouldn't say the friendship is over.
“I don’t know if I can define that right now during this interview," he said. "I can say it, um, you know, it has changed many things in our relationship and our dynamic.”
When it's noted it must be painful, 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.”
After winning the Best Actor Golden Globe in 2018 for The Disaster Artist, actress Ally Sheedy in a later-deleted tweet insinuated it was hypocritical of Franco to wear a "Time's Up" button to the awards ceremony. Within days, the Los Angeles Times published an investigation in which five women claimed Franco was "sexually exploitative" towards them and abused his role as a mentor and teacher at his acting school, Playhouse West Studio 4. Among the claims, two women recalled Franco becoming angry when women wouldn't go topless. Another said during a nude orgy scene that he "removed protective plastic guards covering other actress's vaginas while simulating oral sex on them."
Franco denied the allegations. Two of the women sued him and the the claims were settled in February.
That followed a sketchy history of Instagram DMs, including one 2014 exchange with a 17-year-old. While she said she was underage, he continued his pursuit, even suggesting he get a hotel room for them to meet. After the exchange was published, Franco brushed it off, including mocking it on SNL himself as well.
In April, Yi said that while making 2017's The Disaster Artist with Franco and Rogen, she tried to break her contract and leave that film because she "didn't feel safe working with a f**ing sexual predator." As a result, she said people attempted to "bribe me with a bigger acting role."
She noted, "Seth Rogen was one of the producers on this film so he definitely knows about the bribe and why I quit." Yi said, "Enablers are just as toxic and are abusers too."
Yahoo Entertainment has reached out to a rep for Franco and will update this story if there is a response.
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