Seth Rogen Breaks Silence On James Franco, Reveals They No Longer Speak
For years, Seth Rogen and James Franco were one of Hollywood’s most recognisable comedy pairings, delivering a string of successful films that earned them a loyal fan following. But that chapter now appears firmly closed, with Rogen making it clear that he does not see a professional reunion happening anytime soon.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, the actor and filmmaker addressed his relationship with Franco and confirmed that their long-running creative partnership has come to an end.
Reflecting on the situation, Rogen chose not to delve deeply into personal details but stressed that his position has remained unchanged for years. “I honestly think the nuance of it is too personal for me to get into right now. It is a very personal thing. There’s the public-facing side of it, which I’ve spoken about, and I have the same stance publicly that I’ve had, and I think the proof is in the pudding — I have not worked with him in years,” he said.
When asked whether he still speaks to Franco, Rogen offered a straightforward response. “I haven’t talked to him in a long time, no. I haven’t worked with him in a really long time, and I have no plans to,” he said, making it clear that there are no intentions of reviving either their friendship or professional association.
The two actors first crossed paths in 1999 while working on the cult television series Freaks and Geeks. At the time, Rogen was 16 years old and Franco was 21. Although the show lasted only one season before being cancelled, it became a launchpad for both actors and marked the beginning of a collaboration that would span nearly two decades.
Over the years, they became frequent co-stars in several popular comedies. Their shared filmography includes Knocked Up (2007), Pineapple Express (2008), This Is the End (2013), and The Interview (2014). They also teamed up on the animated hit Sausage Party (2016) and The Disaster Artist (2017), the latter earning Franco a Golden Globe Award.
Their partnership began to unravel in 2018 after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against Franco. Shortly after his Golden Globe win for The Disaster Artist, Los Angeles Times published a report in which five women accused the actor of sexually inappropriate behaviour. Four of the women had previously attended his acting school, Studio 4.
According to the report, one of the accusers alleged that Franco used his position of authority to place students in uncomfortable sexual situations during filming exercises. Franco’s representatives denied the allegations at the time.
The controversy intensified in October 2019 when two former students filed a class-action lawsuit against the actor. The legal filing alleged that Franco had “engaged in widespread inappropriate and sexually charged behaviour towards female students by sexualizing their power as a teacher and an employer by dangling the opportunity for roles in their projects.”
The case was settled in February 2021 for $2.235 million. While Franco denied the allegations as part of the legal settlement documents, he later acknowledged making mistakes during an appearance on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Podcast.
Speaking about his conduct, Franco said, “Over the course of my teaching, I did sleep with students, and that was wrong. … There were certain instances where, you know what, I was in a consensual thing with a student and I shouldn’t have been.”
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