Seth Rogen has responded after James Franco revealed that the pair’s friendship was truly ‘over’ after 20 years.
The stars were once the duo that made up many fans’ favourite comedy bromance, having worked together on the likes of The Interview, This Is the End and Pineapple Express.
However, after Franco faced accusations of sexual misconduct back in 2018, Rogen publicly cut himself off from the actor. And in a Variety interview towards the end of last year, the disgraced star revealed the pair no longer talk.
At the time of the allegations, Franco described them as ‘not accurate’ but added he didn’t want to ‘shut down’ those who ‘didn’t have a voice'.
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The American agreed to pay out $2.23 million (£1.67 million) to settle a lawsuit brought by two former students of his now-defunct film school, Studio 4.
Following that, Franco was largely out of the spotlight and told Variety he had ‘changed his whole way of life’ before going into the changes of his relationship with Rogen.
“I haven’t talked to Seth,” the 127 Hours star 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."
Published yesterday (11 February), Rogen was asked in an Esquire profile how it felt ‘to have something so personal become so public’.
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According to interviewer David Holmes, the 42-year-old was ‘clearly not surprised to get the question’ but was ‘just as clearly not happy about it’.
Referring to Franco’s comments, Rogen said: “Honestly, I absorb so little media that it really wasn’t on my radar.” And Holmes added: “That is all he wants to say about that.”
Well, fair enough to be honest. When Franco’s Variety interview went live, he was slammed as people accused him of ‘trying to make Seth look like the villain’.
As others added that ‘Seth did the right thing’ by ‘cutting off all ties’.
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But while Franco had faced particularly serious allegations that were settled by the suit, there were still fans who called the pair’s partnership the ‘end of an era’ as one even claimed: “Real friends don’t drop you when you’re down.”
Rogen did also publicly speak out in 2021 when he told the Sunday Times about the stance he was taking on Franco.
"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." he said.
"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."
Topics: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Celebrity, Film
Jess Battison