As fans gear up to watch the return of Seth Rogen's Apple TV+ show, some are recalling the rift between him and former friend James Franco, with the pair having both spoken out about the end of their decades-long friendship.
This came following a controversy in which Franco was accused of sexual assault and misconduct, leading Rogen to cut ties with the actor.
Rogen continues to work and is arguably going through the most successful period of his career.
Following an avalanche of Emmy nominations for The Studio, his other Apple TV+ show Platonic returns tomorrow, starring Rogen alongside Rose Byrne.
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Byrne and Rogen star as platonic adult best friends, and the comedic duo are returning after also starring in two Neighbours films together.
With the return of the Rogen-Byrne comedic duo, however, attention will inevitably turn towards Rogen’s original comedic partner, James Franco.
How did the controversy around James Franco start?
Controversy surrounding Franco began in 2018 during his awards run for The Disaster Artist, a Tommy Wiseau biopic in which Franco starred alongside Rogen.
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It came out that Franco had slept with multiple students at an acting school he ran, and he was accused of forming the school to ‘create a pipeline of young women’ to sleep with.
While he denied this being the reason he set up the school, he admitted to sleeping with his students.
He was also accused by an ex-girlfriend of ‘forcing’ her to perform oral sex on him.
What did Seth Rogen say about the allegations at the time?
While Rogen initially stood by Franco and said in 2018 he would work with him again, he later came out in 2021 and said that he ‘despises abuse’ and had no plans to work with his former co-star in the future.
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How did Franco respond?
Franco spoke about Rogen's comments in an appearance on the Jess Cagle podcast, saying that hearing this ‘hurt’, adding: “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.”
Franco says friendship with Rogen is ‘over’
This appearance on the Jess Cagle podcast was Franco’s last interview for multiple years; however, he made a return to Hollywood at the end of 2024.
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As part of this, Franco was interviewed by Variety, where he said of the current state of his relationship with Rogen: “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.”
This was the most recent comment Franco made about the situation, and while Rogen responded, it was to state he hadn’t seen his former co-star's statement.
When asked in a cover story by Esquire how he felt about something so personal being made public, Rogen said: “Honestly, I absorb so little media that [Franco’s comments weren’t] on my radar.”
Topics: James Franco, Seth Rogen, TV and Film, Film, TV, Celebrity
Michael Slavin