James Franco Talks End of Seth Rogen Friendship, Being Blacklisted From Hollywood

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James Franco Talks End of Seth Rogen Friendship, Being Blacklisted From Hollywood

James Franco recently opened up about not being cast in movies following sexual misconduct allegations, as well as his longtime friendship with Seth Rogen coming to an end.

What did James Franco say about his friendship with Seth Rogen?

Speaking to Variety in a recent profile ahead of his new movie, Hey Joe, Franco was asked about his friendship with Seth Rogen. The actor said he’s not in touch with Rogen anymore and hasn’t been despite trying to reach out to his former friend.

“No. I haven’t talked to Seth. I love Seth, we had 20 great years together, but I guess it’s over. And not for lack of trying. I’ve told him how much he’s meant to me,” said Franco.

The pair were famously very close throughout the 2000s and were frequent collaborators on a variety of projects, including Pineapple Express, This Is the End, Sausage Party, The Disaster, and more. However, following various allegations that came forward about the actor, Rogen distanced himself from Franco and said in 2021 that he wouldn’t work with Franco again.

Franco has “moved past” being cast out of Hollywood

Franco was also asked about being cast out of Hollywood and asked if it was unfair that he had essentially not been in any project dating back to 2019. The actor said he had moved past it, that “it is what it is,” and that his hope is just to move forward and move on.

“I mean, it is what it is. I’ve honestly moved past it. It was dealt with, and I got to change,” Franco said. “So that’s it, it’s over. I mean, I’ve worked in the U.S. too. So I’m just trying to move on.”

In 2014, a seventeen-year-old girl alleged that Franco (then 35) tried to meet her in a hotel room, sharing messages of their interactions. In 2018, reports surfaced that Franco had been inappropriate or sexually exploitative while acting as an acting teacher or mentor to several women, including allegations that Franco would hint that roles could be had in exchange for sexual favors.

In 2019, a lawsuit was filed against Franco by two former students of his acting and film school, Studio 4. The lawsuit alleged that Franco aimed to create a pipeline of young women who were sexually exploited. In 2021, the lawsuit was settled, with a subsequent report noting that Franco had paid more than $2.2 million to resolve the legal disputes. In late 2021, Franco would admit that he had sex with students and said he had been in treatment for sexual addiction since 2016.