The Scandal That Chased James Franco Out Of Hollywood

Movie star James Franco was at the height of his Hollywood trajectory when, in 2018, he was accused of sexual misconduct by five women, four of whom attended his now-closed acting school, Studio 4, which was launched in 2014. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Sarah Tither-Kaplan, one of the accusers, claimed that she and the other victims would give in to Franco's requests as they believed it would benefit their careers in the long run. "I feel there was an abuse of power, and there was a culture of exploiting non-celebrity women, and a culture of women being replaceable," she opined.

During a 2018 episode of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," Franco strongly denied the sexual misconduct allegations. But, in October 2020, the women filed a lawsuit against Franco and two other men — one of whom co-owned the acting school with the "Freaks and Geeks" star — stating that the students were defrauded by Studio 4 and that they were constantly forced to perform sex scenes on camera. The matter was settled in 2021 when Franco and his fellow accused associates agreed to settle for $2.2 million.

The shocking allegations came at the height of the Me Too movement when numerous women in Hollywood, and all over the world, began raising awareness about sexual harassment and abuse in the entertainment industry and beyond. Therefore, the claims against the "General Hospital" alum cost Franco movie roles and even a decades-long friendship with collaborator Seth Rogen.

In a December 2021 episode of "The Jess Cagle Show," James Franco discussed the sexual misconduct allegations made against him. Referring to the decision to call one of his acting school classes "Sex Scenes," the "Disaster Artist" star admitted that using that title was a stupid decision. Franco also acknowledged having romantic relationships with certain pupils, but clarified, "I didn't sleep with anybody in that particular class, but over the course of my teaching, I did sleep with students and that was wrong." 

Needless to say that his comments were not well received. "This wasn't a misunderstanding over a course name, it wasn't the result of him being overworked — it was, and is, despicable conduct," his accusers' attorneys told Variety, adding, "Nobody should confuse this interview with Franco taking accountability for his actions or expressing remorse over what happened." By 2022, the actor was back on the movie scene, landing himself a role in "Me, You." Naturally, further roles followed in the ensuing years too. 

Franco spoke to Variety in October 2024 and shared his gratitude for being welcomed back into Hollywood. "I did go through a lawsuit, and during that lawsuit I wasn't working [...] But I did certainly use the time to, I hope, good purpose," he said while expressing pride for the changes he'd made in his life. And, when Franco was asked how he felt about being cast out, the Golden Globe winner reasoned simply, "I'm just trying to move on."