Seth Rogen is standing by a decision that ended one of Hollywood’s most recognizable creative partnerships.
Years after James Franco’s career was derailed by sexual misconduct allegations, Rogen says nothing has changed when it comes to where they stand today — professionally or personally.
Rogen was recently asked about his longtime friendship with Franco, whom he collaborated with on a string of hit projects, including “Pineapple Express,” “This Is the End” and “The Interview” before publicly distancing himself from the actor following allegations that surfaced in 2018.
When asked how he navigated ending such an important friendship, Rogen acknowledged the topic remains deeply personal.
“I mean, I’m trying to think how much I want to personally share about this,” Rogen told The New York Times’ “The Daily” podcast.
During the interview, it was noted that society continues to grapple with questions surrounding accountability, forgiveness and whether public figures who have behaved badly should be welcomed back into people’s lives.
Rogen declined to delve into details but made clear his position has not changed.
“I honestly think the nuance of it is too personal for me to get into right now. It is a very personal thing, and I think there’s like the public-facing side of it, which I’ve spoken about, and I have the same stance publicly that I’ve had,” Rogen said.
“And I think the proof is in the pudding more than anything. I have not worked with him in years, you know, but the personal side of it is just … it’s so nuanced, and it involves people that I don’t know if I should be dragging into this,” he continued.
“I don’t know what I would benefit from getting deeply into it in this moment, but I’d say everything I’ve said … nothing has changed really since the last time I talked about all this.”
Rogen then delivered his clearest statement yet about the future of their relationship, saying, “I haven’t worked with him in a really long time, and I have no plans to.”
When asked whether he still speaks to Franco, Rogen responded, “I haven’t talked to him in a long time, no.”
The comments come as Franco attempts to rebuild his acting career, years after multiple allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior surfaced.
The actor was first accused of sexually inappropriate conduct by five women in a Los Angeles Times report published in January 2018.
A year later, former students filed a class action lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging Franco and his associates pressured students into performing explicit scenes on camera and engaged in inappropriate behavior toward female students at an acting school he co-founded with business partner Vince Jolivette.
According to the complaint, the women alleged they paid monthly tuition to attend the school and were subjected to intimidation and sexual objectification while being promised potential acting opportunities.
Franco agreed to settle the lawsuit in June 2021, signing off on a payment of $2.235 million.
Despite the controversy, Franco has slowly returned to acting and reflected in 2024 on the fallout during an interview with Variety while promoting the Italian film “Hey Joe.”
“I’m so grateful to be working,” Franco said. “I did go through a lawsuit, and during that lawsuit, I wasn’t working. But then COVID hit, so everybody wasn’t working. So, I don’t know, it was all … I mean, we were all kind of in it. So, it was sort of like, ‘I don’t know what I am.’”
Franco also addressed the collapse of his friendship with Rogen, revealing that despite his efforts, the two have not reconnected.
“No. I haven’t talked to Seth,” Franco told Variety. “I love Seth. We had 20 great years together, but I guess it’s over. And not for lack of trying. I’ve told him how much he’s meant to me.”
Franco is best known for his roles in “Spider-Man,” “127 Hours” and other Hollywood hits.
