James Franco addressed the 'hurtful' comment Seth Rogen made about the demise of their friendship, admitting he understood why his former pal spoke out against him.
Their bromance, beloved by fans around the world, came to an abrupt end after Franco was accused of sexual misconduct in January 2018.
Five young women who had attended his now-defunct film school, Studio 4, claimed he had behaved inappropriately towards them, and two former students later filed a lawsuit.
The 127 Hours actor, 47, said their accounts were 'not accurate', but explained he didn't 'shut down' people who 'didn't have a voice'.
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Franco's representatives described the allegations as 'false and inflammatory', but the California-born star later paid $2.2 million (£1.6m) to settle the case in 2021, the BBC reported.
His longtime collaborator, Rogen, initially vowed to continue working with him - however, by May 2021, The Studio star revealed he'd had a huge change of heart.
"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 told the Sunday Times. "I look back to that interview in 2018 where I comment that I would keep working with James, and the truth is that I have not and I do not plan to right now.
"I can say it, um, you know, it has changed many things in our relationship and our dynamic."
Just a few months later, Franco broke his silence on his fall from grace and how it had impacted those around him - including Rogen.
The Interview actor appeared on SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Podcast in December 2021 and confessed he 'did sleep with students', saying: "And that was wrong.
"But like I said, it’s not why I started the school and I wasn’t the person that selected the people to be in the class.
"So it wasn’t a ‘master plan’ on my part," he continued. "But yes, there were certain instances where, you know what, I was in a consensual thing with a student and I shouldn’t have been."
Franco said he had been 'doing a lot of work' to better himself in wake of the controversy which derailed his high-flying career, adding: "I didn't want to hurt people."
Two prominent figures who were caught in the crossfire were Rogen and Franco's younger brother, who is also a screen star, Dave.
He explained he no longer wanted the pair 'to have to answer for' him, hence why he agreed to the bombshell interview.
Franco also revealed his feelings towards Rogen after his Pineapple Express co-star made the comments about having no desire to work with him again.
"He was asked about me and um...I just want to say, I absolutely love Seth Rogen," he told the host. "I love Seth Rogen. I worked with him for 20 years, we didn't have one fight. For 20 years, not one fight.
"He was my absolute closest work friend and collaborator," Franco reminisced. "You know, we just gelled.
"What he said is true - we aren't working together right now and we don't have any plans to work together. Of course, it was hurtful, you know, in context.
"But I get it - he had to answer for me. Because I was silent, he had to answer for me. And I don't want that.
"That's one of the main reasons I wanted to talk to you today; I don't want Seth, or my brother, or anyone, to have to answer for me anymore."
Last year, Franco revealed that he had not been in touch with Rogen, although he said it wasn't 'for a lack of trying'.
"We had 20 great years together, but I guess it’s over," the actor said. "And not for lack of trying. I’ve told him how much he’s meant to me."
Topics: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Celebrity, TV and Film
Olivia Burke