Seth Rogen Says He Won’t Work with James Franco Following Sexual Misconduct Allegations
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Seth Rogen walked back his previous support of longtime collaborator James Franco, revealing that he has no plans to work with his frequent costar following allegations of sexual harassment.
Rogen acknowledged Franco’s misconduct during a recent interview with Britain’s Sunday Times, also expressing regret over a joke he made on Saturday Night Live, and over a 2018 interview.
“I do look back at a joke I made on Saturday Night Live in 2014 and I very much regret making that joke,” he said. “It was a terrible joke, honestly. 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.”
Just weeks after a 17-year-old girl alleged that Franco had direct messaged her on Instagram to meet up, Rogen joked that he decided to “prank” Franco by posing as “a girl on Instagram,” adding, “Told him I was way young.”
“He seemed unfazed,” Rogen cracked. “I have a date to meet him at the Ace Hotel.”
The comedian also addressed comments made by actress Charlyne Yi, who criticized Rogen as Franco’s “enabler.”
Yi, who was originally cast in The Disaster Artist, alleged that producers attempted to “bribe” her when she threatened to exit the movie due to Franco.
Yi claimed that Rogen, who worked as a producer on the film, “definitely knows about the bribe and why I quit,” also calling him an “enabler.”
“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 before acknowledging his past mistakes.
Rogen, who has worked with Franco on several projects including Freaks and Geeks, Pineapple Express, This Is the End, and The Interview also revealed that the allegations have affected their personal relationship.
The comedian told the Times that he could not “define” their friendship, as the claims had “changed many things in our relationship and our dynamic.”
Since the incident in 2014, five other women have publicly accused Franco of misconduct, including sexually exploitative behavior.
