James Franco recently disclosed that his 20-year friendship with longtime collaborator Seth Rogen is ‘over.’
The actors, who first met as co-stars in the 1999 cult classic TV show Freaks and Geeks, famously worked on a slew of projects together for almost two decades including Pineapple Express, The Interview, This Is The End, and The Disaster Artist.
However their work together reached an abrupt end when Franco was accused of sexually inappropriate behavior by multiple women in 2018. A year later, two of Franco’s former acting students filed a sexual misconduct lawsuit which the actor settled in 2021.
Franco was accused of sexual misconduct in 2019. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for IFP)
That same year, Rogen told The Sunday Times that he had no plans to work with Franco again in light of the allegations. “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 told the outlet.
“I 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,” he continued. “I can say it, um, you know, it has changed many things in our relationship and our dynamic.”
Franco has since addressed his former friendship and creative partnership with Rogen, telling Variety whilst promoting his latest film Hey Joe: “I haven’t talked to Seth. I love Seth, we had 20 great years together, but I guess it’s over.”
The actor disclosed his almost 20-year friendship with Rogen was ‘over.’ (Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Moet & Chandon)
“And not for lack of trying,” Franco continued. “I’ve told him how much he’s meant to me.”
The actor previously admitted in a 2021 episode of SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Podcast that he had slept with some of his students while working as an acting teacher.
“Over the course of my teaching, I did sleep with students, and that was wrong,” Franco disclosed. “But like I said, it’s not why I started the school and I wasn’t the person that selected the people to be in the class.
“So it wasn’t a ‘master plan’ on my part. But yes, there were certain instances where, you know what, I was in a consensual thing with a student and I shouldn’t have been.”
Rogen previously addressed his friendship with Franco amidst the allegations in 2021. (Presley Ann/Getty Images for SeeHer)
He went on to address Rogen’s response to the allegations at that time, saying: “I love Seth Rogen. 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.
“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.”
