Boy of shameful appearance James Franco is making a frantic attempt to make a return after years of being without a significant job as a result of scandalous allegations of sexual misconduct. However, insiders claim that not everyone in Hollywood is welcoming him back with open arms.
Insiders claim that the actor, who is 46 years old, is still receiving a great deal of negative feedback, particularly from female former coworkers, despite the fact that it has been nearly six years since the allegations of inappropriate behavior were initially brought to light.
A former McDonald's drone turned theatrical idol, the Pineapple Express man was accused of sexually exploiting young female students at his acting school, Studio 4, which is now defunct and located in New York and Los Angeles. Studio 4 was based in both Manhattan and Los Angeles.
“Some people will outright refuse to work with him, and some believe he shouldn’t be given a second chance at all! His actions were so heinous as to preclude redemption,” an unnamed source told The National Enquirer.
Despite the fact that he first referred to the allegations as "not accurate," the Oscar nominee ultimately agreed to settle a class action lawsuit in June 2021 for a reported sum of $2.23 million. Since then, James has admitted to having a sexual addiction that lasted for decades and been responsible for the sexual misconduct of multiple students.
However, Franco is prepared to make a comeback despite the fact that he has been virtually blackballed and has only appeared in a few movies with modest budgets. He was photographed on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival and getting ready to play Fidel Castro in the upcoming film Alina of Cuba. He was also seen practicing for the role.
“I’m certain James has high hopes but it’s clear that some aren’t ready to forgive and forget. He’s going to have to work hard to prove he has changed if he wants to make this comeback stick!” the insider added.
Having spent the previous six years hiding in the shadows, James is now making his comeback. He made one of his few public appearances since 2018, when he was accused of acting improperly toward students at his film school, which has since closed its doors. The actor attended a party at Cannes, which was one of the few public appearances he has made since then, as per Vanity Fair.
Five different women, including various students at James’ film school, Studio 4, have accused the star of Disaster Artist of engaging in sexual assault. These allegations come in the wake of the #MeToo movement. More than a year later, on October 3, 2019, two students from Studio 4 filed a lawsuit against James and his partners, alleging that his film school exploited them and that the program was a scheme to provide Franco and his male collaborators with young female performers who they could take advantage of. The lawsuit was filed against Franco and his partners.
In the lawsuit that was submitted to the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, James and his male colleagues were accused of participating in the creation of "an environment of harassment and sexual exploitation both in and out of the classroom." The lawsuit also asserted that James and his associates "engaged in widespread inappropriate and sexually charged behavior toward female students" and that they exploited their status as educators "by dangling the opportunity for roles in their projects."
Both of these allegations were included in the lawsuit. One of the students related her experience of performing in an orgy scene with James. During the play, she stated that the actor allegedly removed the vaginal guards of the actresses as he was practicing oral sex on herself.
At the time, Michael Plonsker, a lawyer for James, stated that "James will not only fully defend himself, but will also seek damages from the plaintiffs and their attorneys for filing this scurrilous publicity-seeking lawsuit." Additionally, James will pursue damages from the plaintiffs for filing this complaint.
After the lawsuit was settled on February 11, 2021, James later agreed to pay more than $2.2 million in damages that June. The settlement was reached by the time the lawsuit was settled. In an interview that took place later that year on the podcast “The Jess Cagle Show,” the actor acknowledged that he has conducted sexual encounters with students who were enrolled in his film school.
Since the claims were made, the actor who was formerly very successful has remained largely hidden from public view. James has not been seen in a project since he provided the voice of a character in the animated film “Arctic Dogs,” which was released in 2019. However, he is working on a number of projects that are scheduled to be released in the near future, one of which is Alina of Cuba, which is a biography about Fidel Castro's daughter.
A report from the Daily Mail stated that James was present at the elite Nespresso party that took place at Cannes 2024. He reportedly spent the evening in the VIP zone, which was tightly guarded. The actor is taking part in the buyers market in Cannes with the hopes of selling his newest picture, which is titled “The Razor's Edge.” The movie, which will be directed by Demian Lichtenstein and will also include Tommy Lee Jones, is anticipated to start in the month of June.
In the aftermath of the party, Armani issued a press release naming the celebrities that it had clothed for the Cannes Film Festival. James was previously listed on the list, along with other actors such as Raymond Lam, Giancarlo Esposito, and Shia LaBeouf, who is also accused of misconduct and abuse. Within a short period of time after the initial press release was distributed, Armani produced a revised press statement that did not include James.
