James Franco and Seth Rogen.Photo: Michael Kovac/Getty
In a new interview withThe Sunday Times, Rogen, 39, said that he has no future plans to work with Franco, 43, following the sexual harassment controversy surroundingThe Deuceactor. (Franco has denied 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 said.
Rogen — who has known Franco since they were teenagers and collaborated with him on projects likeFreaks and Geeks,This Is The End, andThe Disaster Artist— also toldThe Timesthat he has two regrets regarding his prior response to the allegations against Franco: the first for joking about it during his2014Saturday Night Live opening monologue; and the second for tellingVulturein April 2018 that he would continue working with Franco despite the accusations.
“I do look back at a joke I made onSaturday Night Livein 2014 and I very much regret making that joke,” said Rogen. “It was a terrible joke, honestly. And I also look back to that interview in 2018 where I commentthat I would keep working with James, and the truth is that I have not and I do not plan to right now. "
Listen below to the episode ofour daily podcast PEOPLE Every Dayfor more on Seth Rogen’s decision to distance himself from James Franco.
Rogen also confirmed that it is “not a coincidence” that his professional relationship with Franco has seemingly ended. The pair’s personal relationship has also been affected, Rogen said.
“I don’t know if I can define that right now during this interview,” Rogen toldThe Timesof the pair’s friendship. “I can say it, um, you know, it has changed many things in our relationship and our dynamic.”
A rep for Franco did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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“The things that I heard that were on Twitter are not accurate, but I completely support people coming out and being able to have a voice because they didn’t have a voice for so long,” Franco told host Stephen Colbert. “So I don’t want to, you know, shut them down in any way.”
Sarah Tither-Kaplan and fellow alleged victim Toni Gaal laterfiled a sexual misconduct lawsuitagainst Franco in 2019. Adeal was reached in the settlementearlier this year.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
