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A two-decade-long Hollywood partnership has officially come to an end, as actor James Franco recently confirmed that his friendship with Seth Rogen has dissolved. Speaking at the 2024 Rome Film Festival, Franco stated plainly, "I haven't talked to Seth. We had 20 great years together, but I guess it's over."
The rupture stems from sexual misconduct allegations against Franco that emerged in 2018, when five women, including four former acting students, accused him of inappropriate behavior. A subsequent 2019 class-action lawsuit filed by two students resulted in a $2.235 million settlement in 2021, though Franco maintained his denial of the accusations throughout the litigation.
Rogen, who first collaborated with Franco on the cult classic series "Freaks and Geeks" in 1999, addressed the situation in a pivotal 2021 interview with The Times. "I despise abuse and harassment," he declared, expressing regret over his initial stance to continue working with Franco. Their creative partnership had produced numerous successful films, including "Pineapple Express" (2008), "This Is the End" (2013), and "The Interview" (2014).
Franco's recent appearance at the Rome Film Festival, promoting his new film "Hey Joe," marked his first significant return to the spotlight since the controversy. "Being told you're bad is painful," Franco reflected, "but ultimately, that's kind of what I needed to just stop going the way I was going." He acknowledged using his time away from Hollywood to "change my whole way of life."
The settlement agreement from 2021 included a notable joint statement: "While Defendants continue to deny the allegations in the Complaint, they acknowledge that Plaintiffs have raised important issues; and all parties strongly believe that now is a critical time to focus on addressing the mistreatment of women in Hollywood."
Franco's current relationship with actress Izabel Pakzad, spanning seven-and-a-half years, represents what he describes as his first experience with "real intimacy." He admitted to previously maintaining friendships that were "always sort of enmeshed with my work."
Despite the friendship's end, Franco expressed continued appreciation for Rogen, noting, "I've told him how much he's meant to me." The dissolution of their partnership marks the end of one of Hollywood's most productive creative collaborations, which spanned multiple successful films and helped launch both actors' careers.
Today, both actors have moved in different directions. While Franco gradually returns to filmmaking with several projects in development, Rogen has continued his successful career trajectory, focusing on independent productions and maintaining his stance on distancing himself from his former collaborator.
