James Franco Talks Seth Rogen Saying They Won't Work Together Again: "It Was Hurtful"

BY Erika Marie 18.6K Views
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Seth Rogen, James Franco
They were friends for 20 years and while Franco stayed silent on his sexual misconduct allegations, Rogen was accused of being his "enabler."

They were the dynamic duo whose films raked in millions, but the James Franco-Seth Rogen pairing has come to an end. Four years ago, accusations surfaced against Franco from several women who attended his acting classes. They accused the actor of abusing his power and acting inappropriately and soon, a sexual misconduct lawsuit surfaced.

Franco would later settle the suit for a reported $2.2 million, and this week, he spoke about those allegations for the first time while chatting with The Jess Cagle Podcast. Franco revealed that he had an alcohol and sex addiction while admitting that he did have sex with his students.

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Elsewhere during the interview, Franco spoke about his severed relationship with Rogen. During the time of Franco's allegations, Rogen was accused of being an "enabler" to his friend. Rogen would state that he did not have plans to ever work with Franco again, and it is something that seemed to hurt his former 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," said Rogen back in May. "The truth is that I have not and I do not plan to [work with Franco] right now."

"He was asked about me, and I just wanna say I absolutely love Seth Rogen. … I love Seth Rogen," Franco told Cagle. "I worked with him for 20 years. We didn't have one fight for 20 years. Not one fight. He was my absolute closest work friend, collaborator. We just gelled."

"What he said is true, you know, we aren't working together right now and we don't have any plans to work together," he continued. "Of course, it was hurtful, in context, but I get it. He had to answer for me 'cause I was silent. He had to answer for me, and I don't want that. So that's why, that's one of the main reasons I wanted to talk to you today. I don't want Seth or my brother or anyone to have to answer for me anymore."

Watch the clip of James Franco's interview below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.