Entertainment

James Franco Just Addressed The Sexual Misconduct Allegations Again & Here's What He Said

by Nicole Pomarico
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Two days after sexual misconduct allegations against James Franco surfaced, the actor has opened up once again. While appearing on Late Night With Seth Meyers on Wednesday night, Franco denied the allegations against him made by two women on Twitter. Voicing his stance on the situation for the second time this week, Franco again said that the allegations from the two women were "not accurate." (Bustle previously reached out to a rep for Franco for comment on the allegations, but did not receive a response.)

After Franco wore a pin in support of the #TimesUp movement to Sunday night's Golden Globes, two women, Violet Paley and Sarah Tither-Kaplan, came forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct. Paley alleged Franco "pushed her head down in a car towards [his] exposed penis" (she later added that they had a"consensual relationship as well"), and Tither-Kaplan alleged he told her it "wasn't exploitative" to have her do nude scenes in two of his movies for $100/day because she signed a contract.

When Meyers asked him about the tweets, Franco said:

"I was sent a couple of the tweets. So yeah, I did read them. I haven't responded. The ones I read were not accurate, but one of the things that I've learned is that this is a conversation that obviously needs to be had. There are people, women and others, who have not been a part of this conversation. I truly believe, and why I was wearing the pin, is that they need to be a part of this conversation. I support them."

Meyers also asked Franco about Ally Sheedy's deleted tweets that asked why he was let into the Golden Globes and to never ask her why she left the entertainment business. Franco replied that he hadn't reached out to Sheedy to clarify her remarks, but he said that he previously had a "great relationship with her" and didn't know what the tweets were about.

Franco also went on to address the current shift in Hollywood as more and more women continue to voice allegations of assault and harassment:

"I think what I really learned, and being here this week, and that show that we were [at] — it was so powerful in there. Like I said, there are stories that need to get out. There are people that need to be heard. I have my own side of this story, but I believe in these people that have been underrepresented getting their stories out enough that I will hold back things that I could say just because I believe in that much. If I have to take a knock because I'm not going to try and actively refute things, then I will, because I believe in it that much."

This isn't the first time Franco has called the tweets from Tither-Kaplan and Paley "not accurate." On Tuesday night, Franco answered similar questions while talking to Stephen Colbert on The Late Show. Appearing to maintain his support for those alleging of sexual abuse and misconduct who have come forward in recent months, he said:

"In my life, I pride myself on taking responsibility for things that I've done. I have to do that to maintain my well-being. I do it whenever I know that there's something wrong or needs to be changed, I make it a point to do it. 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. So I don't want to shut them down in any way. I think it's a good thing and I support it."

Tither-Kaplan and Paley aren't the only women who are accusing Franco of misconduct. Thursday morning, the Los Angeles Times published an exposé that brought the accuser count up to five. And while Franco told Meyers he was "not going to try and actively refute things," his lawyer did response to the allegations in the LA Times piece.

In addition to Paley and Tither-Kaplan, who also spoke with the LA Times, two of Franco's former students at North Hollywood's Playhouse West — Hilary Dusome and Natalie Chamiel — claimed that he asked them (and other female students) to take their shirts off during a film shoot they were working on and got upset when no one wanted to. Franco's attorney claimed that the actor did not make the alleged request.

A third woman, Katie Ryan, who took a class from Franco at Studio 4, alleged that he “would always make everybody think there were possible roles on the table if we were to perform sexual acts or take off our shirts." His attorney told the Times that Franco "not aware that any of the actions alleged by Ms. Ryan ever occurred." Bustle reached out to Franco's lawyer and a rep for the actor for additional comment, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit online.rainn.org.