What Happened Between James Franco And Seth Rogen? Find Out As Actor Confirms End Of Longtime Friendship

In a recent interview, James Franco reflected on the end of his more than 20-year friendship with Seth Rogen, revealing that their relationship never recovered after the sexual misconduct allegations against him came to light.

Updated on Oct 26, 2024  |  03:43 PM IST |  92.8K
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James Franco and Seth Rogen (Getty Images)

Seth Rogen and James Franco, two of the most celebrated names in comedy, shared a long history of collaboration until their friendship fell apart in 2018. The Pineapple Express actors first teamed up on the 1999 show Freaks and Geeks when both were starting out in Hollywood. From there, they became a dynamic duo, starring together in hit comedies like Knocked Up and The Disaster Artist.

In 2018, five women, four of whom were Franco's acting students, accused him of sexually inappropriate behavior in an article by the Los Angeles Times. The following year, two of the accusers filed a sexual misconduct lawsuit against him, which was settled two years later. Despite denying the allegations, Franco agreed to pay $2,235,000 in 2021 to settle with the women.

The allegations appeared to cause a rift between Franco and his longtime friend, with Rogen telling The Sunday Times that same year that he had no more plans to work with Franco. “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 like that," he said.

Three years later, in October 2024, Franco admitted to Variety that his friendship with Rogen was never repaired. “I haven’t talked to Seth. I love Seth; we had 20 great years together, but I guess it’s over,” he said. “And not for lack of trying. I’ve told him how much he’s meant to me,” Franco added.

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The actor spoke to the publication at the Rome Film Festival about his new movie, Hey Joe, his second film to be released since 2019. Franco opened up about his hiatus from Hollywood, saying that the world was also on pause during the lawsuit due to the pandemic. However, he used that time to make positive changes in his life.

As Franco resumes his film career, Variety noted that he has at least three additional projects in the works. The actor mentioned that his schedule now is very different, allowing him to slow down and explore his personal life. “I’ve had a relationship for seven and a half years [with actress and filmmaker Izabel Pakzad]. I was never able to do that before. I was just too scared, really … to have any sort of real intimacy with anyone,” he shared.

Franco’s Hey Joe will release in Italy on November 28.

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FAQ

What caused the fallout between James Franco and Seth Rogen?
The fallout between James Franco and Seth Rogen occurred after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct were made against Franco in 2018. These allegations led Rogen to distance himself professionally and personally from Franco.

Did James Franco deny the allegations?
Yes, James Franco denied the allegations of inappropriate behavior. However, in 2021, he settled a lawsuit with two of the accusers for $2,235,000, which he said was not an admission of guilt.

Did James Franco try to reconcile with Seth Rogen?
According to James Franco, he made efforts to reach out and express to Rogen how much their friendship meant to him, but their relationship remained unrepaired.

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