Seth Rogen makes rare comments on where he stands with James Franco
Seth Rogen makes rare comments on where he stands with James Franco
Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYSun, June 14, 2026 at 2:17 PM UTC
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Seth Rogen has shared some rare comments on his "nuanced" friendship breakup with James Franco.
"The Studio" star, 44, commented on his longtime collaborator in an interview with the New York Times' "The Interview" podcast published June 13. Rogen reiterated that he doesn't intend to work with Franco again after his former costar was accused of sexual misconduct in 2018.
"I haven't worked with him in a really long time and I have no plans to," Rogen said, adding that he also hasn't "talked to him in a long time."
When Rogen was initially asked about Franco, 48, in the podcast interview, he paused for several seconds and noted he was considering how much he wanted "to personally share about this." He added that the "nuance of it is too personal for me to get into right now."
James Franco, left, and Seth Rogen attend the premiere of "The Interview" in Los Angeles on Dec. 11, 2014.
"It is a very personal thing," he said. "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 more than anything. I have not worked with him in years. But the personal side of it is just so nuanced, and it involves people that I don't know if I should be dragging into this."
Rogen and Franco were friends for years after meeting on the 1999 NBC series "Freaks and Geeks" and going on to work together on several movies throughout the 2000s and 2010s, including "Pineapple Express," "This Is the End" and "The Disaster Artist." But after Franco faced allegations of sexual misconduct in 2018, Rogen cut ties professionally.
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Franco has been accused of inappropriate behavior by former students at his film school Studio 4, which closed in 2017. In 2021, he settled a lawsuit brought by Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal, who accused Franco and his partners of "sexualizing their power as a teacher and an employer by dangling the opportunity for roles in their projects." The suit alleged Franco "was looking to create a pipeline of young women who were subjected to his personal and professional sexual exploitation."
Seth Rogen, left, and James Franco visit the SiriusXM Studios on Dec. 15, 2014, in New York City.
Franco acknowledged in a 2021 interview with SiriusXM that "over the course of my teaching, I did sleep with students, and that was wrong." He added, "I suppose at the time, my thinking was if it's consensual, OK. Of course, I knew talking to other people – other teachers or whatever – it's probably not a cool thing. At the time, I was not clearheaded."
Seth Rogen: The star sidesteps question on James Franco friendship after #MeToo claims
Speaking with Variety in 2024, Franco said he has not been in touch with Rogen and that they are no longer friends. "I haven't talked to Seth," he said. "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."
When asked about these comments by Franco in a 2025 interview with Esquire, Rogen deflected, telling the outlet, "Honestly, I absorb so little media that it really wasn't on my radar."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Seth Rogen speaks out about former James Franco friendship
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
