You’re looking at a photo from The Artist formerly known as James Franco’s Instagram page. Franco has since deleted this image — perhaps because he’s realized that he could be in a heap of trouble. I don’t think there’s anything that will happen to him legally. What he’s (allegedly) done is skeevy though. He posted the image to deny a story about him perving on a 17-year-old Scottish girl (who was in NYC with her mom as a pre-18th birthday celebration). Franco is in town because he’s currently appearing in the Broadway production of Of Mice and Men.
Buzzfeed covered a series of anonymous images that were uploaded to Imgur. The images appeared to be screencaps of Franco engaging in direct messages with a 17-year-old female. He seemed very interested in hooking up with this girl. He kept asking whether or not she was 18. For what it’s worth, the age of consent in Scotland and in New York is 17 years. This is still creepy. Franco was using his celebrity status to woo the girl. He kept asking her if she was single and where she’d be staying in NYC. Then he progressed to “Should I rent a room“? Franco abruptly tried to end the conversation when the girl questioned his “dodgy” behavior. She thought he was messing with her as a joke.
An interesting detail: Franco’s Instagram page description used to include a disclaimer: “PLEASE DON’T DM IF YOU ARE UNDER 18.” The disclaimer has disappeared, but I’ve included a screencap. This conversation seemed authentic to me. There are so many details that give away how young this girl really is. Especially when Franco asked, “What’s your #?” The girl doesn’t know what “#” means because a 17-year-old girl would think he was talking about a hashtag.
This could all be some intricately plotted performance art on the part of Franco. I hate that we have to consider that possibility with everything he does. Franco’s starting to promote Palo Alto. He stars in the movie (which is based upon his own book, of course) as a teacher who beds his student. So yeah … this could be a publicity stunt. Or a belated April Fool’s joke. Or Franco could be using all of his own built-in excuses to perv on starstruck young girls.
Photos courtesy of Instagram & WENN
Disgusting f’in perv..
Am I the only one thinking its a PR for his movie? him being with an underage movie thats coming soon???
Knowing him I would strongly side with publicity. He seems to not always know where ART ends and being a skeevy person begins. I really doubt he was serious. He’s an idiot, but he’s not stupid if that makes sense.
All this aside… I hate that I still find him attractive.
Yeah, my guess is this is some sort of pr/performance art nonsense. From all the stories I’ve heard about him, trolling for young girls isn’t his m.o. But…I don’t follow him that closely, so I could be wrong.
You know what’s disgusting? The comments on her IG. Mind boggling how utterly thoughtless & hateful people can be…
I didn’t see those, what are they saying?
Usual stuff, you’re a stupid ****, why didn’t you **** him, you’re an ugly troll, ad nauseam. Although there were a lot of comments commending her, so I should be focusing on that (now I feel like a negative Nelly).
Oh mimif, regarding the nasty ones — that is depressing.
🙁
I am glad there are also positive ones.
Yeah well I might have spoke (wrote) too soon. She’s gotten something like 12k followers virtually overnight and now the majority of the comments are just flat out wretched.
WTH is wrong with people?!!!!!!????
i read the comments on her ig. poor girl did absolutely nothing except reject a gross creepy dudes advances. if its all true and not a publicity stunt then he fully needs to be called out on his creepy behavior.
Actually. Two things: He has a movie coming out of him playing a creep such as what happened so it MAY be publicity. It’s still disgusting no matter which way you spin it.
Second: ‘Not if you’re around’ talking about does she have a boyfriend. The behavior displayed by BOTH is disgusting. James is older, there is that consent thing. But the girl is knowingly flirting and it worked by having him send pictures and further asking to get her alone. James is a creep but let’s not pretend the girl isn’t completely innocent. She’s of age of consent by New York and Scotland laws. That doesn’t mean the girl deserves to be called horrible names by any means or get vicious behavior thrown her way but let’s not pretend she didn’t help escalate it.
I disagree.
Flirting isn’t a crime. Nor is disbelieving that you’re talking to an actual celebrity.
She’s only 17 and doesn’t have the age or experience to go head to head with a man in his mid-to-late 30’s. He knew exactly what he was doing. The blame rests on him.
Totally agree with with LadySlippers. Don’t blame the 17 year old GIRL for this. Whether or not this was for publicity, it’s disgusting.
Didn’t she release the screen caps? I don’t get it. Did she make her name public or ppl just figured it out? If this is real and not a stunt, I guess she learned an important lesson about the Internet. And how # was used in the olden days.
It’s definitely a publicity stunt. It’s too convienent that it was April fools AND he was releasing his new movie haha and also everyone who is saying the girl is he victim etc SHE uploaded the pictures with her name and everything- you’d have to be ridiculously dumb to think you’d get away with it (and don’t say it’s because she’s only 17- I’m 18 and trust me we get Internet safety forced down our throats so she’s not unaware). My guess she either did it so she could get attention (fake or real) OR she too was in on the pr ploy. Either way, james definitely would have banked on her uploading the pictures. He does some stupid things, but he’s not foolish enough to hit on a random teen when he could have literally anyone. That being said, ily James Franco haha
She’s Scottish so unless you’re also Scottish — we shouldn’t be assuming what she does or does not get taught.
Also, just because you’re ‘taught’ something doesn’t mean anyone pays attention. Plenty of my kids’ friends, and my kids, have done some fairly naive things even when ‘taught’ otherwise. It’s part of being both a teenager and human.
And he looks like a heroin addict, sorry, its true, he does. Its the pasty pink complexion, bordering on grey.
Wow, he really wanted to get some.
All of those questions are making me LOL “What hotel? Should I rent a room? Yes or no? Tomorrow or Thursday? Marvin Gaye or Al Green?”
Lol now I hate myself for laughing you brat. 😉
😀
Marvin Gaye or AL Green LMAO
Yeah the Marvin Gaye and Al Green made me laugh too. I feel dirty now though haha.
Lol, thanks for that. 😄
‘Check yes or no if you like me. Return it to Seth and he’ll give it to me.’
OMG-he actually did that?
OK, so I can’t read stuff like this. It is a weird quirk I have, along with not being able to watch a lot of network/reality TV, where I physically get all contorted and have a visceral pain in my shoulders where my muscles clamp down-it’s like a physical reaction to people making fools of themselves. So I did not read the actual exchange, but the fact that he is actually talking about sexing music with a 17 year old is disgusting. Sooooo….gross.
But, if the age of consent is 17, and there is no law that stops it…it’s only gross. He’s not a pedophile, he is someone who has a barely legal fetish. And while that’s not my cup of 33 year old tea, if everyone is consenting and into it…
I’m struggling to be my usual, sex-positive, everyone-can-do-as-they-please-if-it’s-legal self, because I still feel like this is skeevy. The power imbalance between a young girl and a movie star…just seems wrong.
Because it is wrong. Lots of things that are wrong are legal. Cheating, using people, marrying for money, manipulating someone younger or less powerful than you…you can be perfectly legal and still be a douche. I’m all sex-positive as long as no one is being hurt or used or manipulated. Not so in this case. So your instinct to cringe is your body telling you something is wrong.
Why would you feel the need to defend a 33 year old man trying to have sex with a 17 year old girl. That is vile. If that is sex positive then I will happily define myself as sex negative, very sex negative.
Because it’s not illegal or really amoral. He’s not a pedophile. He’s into a young, but technically legal, chick. I find it gross and inappropriate, I think the age difference is ridiculous, probably because I’m about James Franco’s age, and the idea of getting busy with a 17 year old boy makes me feel…I can’t even describe how unsexy that idea is. I also think the power imbalance is kinda jacked, but if they were both into it…I dunno. My elipses aren’t really doing a good job conveying my interal issues. I’m struggling with what I say my beliefs are [consenting individuals of legal age can do as they please with their bodies and it’s none of my damn business] and being faced with this situation, which just flat out squicks me out. Between this, and #aftersexselfie, which is apparently a thing as I discovered yesterday, I’m learning that I do have a line, after all.
James will turn *36* in two weeks (mid April). He is more than double her age.
Normally, I’m also very sex positive but older teenagers still don’t have fully mature brains (brains don’t mature until 22-24ish) and I take that into consideration. If she were 21 I’d think it was a bit yucky but wouldn’t comment as her brain is much closer to that adult state.
Legal doesn’t quite cut it for me. Making sure it’s truly a respectful and consensual ADULT relationship, however, does. Then do whatever you like in your bedroom.
She is not an adult. She is 17 a minor. It is legal some places but that doesn’t make her an adult. In some places the age of consent is 14 or younger. Do you think it is ok for a 36 year old to have sex with a 14 year old.
I chuckled heartily at this.
What a creep. Isn’t he friends with Uncle terry too, like jared leto?
Makes sense, right? Ugh, I can’t believe that he’s so desperate!! Let’s hope he planned this for PR.
I totally believe that this was NOT a publicity stunt!!! She’s a real girl (emphasis on girl), she’s not part of a plot. I think the timing is convenient. But also, I think he’s been doing this for a LOOONNGG time. And looking at his dating history. (past Sokollof) He likes them young.
But as life has it, when you do things for a long time, it comes out, naturally or abruptly… but what’s for sure is that there is a breaking point.
Also, how the people on her imgur are telling her she is “stupid”, and “a troll” for rejecting his advances. Is definitely telling of how many young women out there, would in reality terms, be more than willing to sleep with a Franco and not say anything on mass social media.
AND… May I add that an immediate denial of accusations mostly points to there having been an actual incident that may have occured
BUSTED!!! DISGUSTED!! What a piece of work… I just lost my James Francophile fan membership and my appetite!! What a tiny squirt. What a ripe brazen d-ck.. what a … *aaaggh*
In conclusion to my dissertation of this situation.
I choose to believe HER because, she’s 17 years old… My goodness, if a normal guy came close too me at that age and everyone, even the dog from 8 miles away knew it!!
I mean, this smells like the real James Franco. (this is my own personal opinion)
Bitch Rant Over
Lainey implied there was a connection with Terry. This smells like a stunt, but he’s still a creeper.
We might never know what his true intentions were, since he can always pull the publicity stunt card or say it was an April Fools’ joke and get away with it. Disgusting.
He’s turning 36 this month. If this story is true, it’s gross on his part and the girl’s part. Can’t Franco walk into any bar or club in NYC and pick up a girl?
Not unless she’s a fan, she’s (almost) 18 years old, and she’s shipping herself off to lands far far away from NY State ( no, scratch that, USA) within a number of days, and she knows how to keep her mouth shut and her fingers off the keyboard or whatever!! If all of these points were there, then, yes, he would pick her up…
The age of consent in New York is 17. So if he did try to pick her up it’s gross not illegal.
LOL the legal thing doesn’t even matter since it’s still creepy to lust after a teen where you are 36.
Only, sadly, it’s not. I mean, some of my high school colleagues had 30-smth year old boyfriends. And they were 17, 18 max.
Technically, they were not breaking the law, but I think a 30 year old will only go out with a teen simply because she’ll be up for anything.
it’s legal so it’s just gross and it could be a RP stunt for his next role!
so it’s a no-story!
But we’re suppose to believe he was too much of a gentleman to mess with a drugged out LiLo because it just wouldn’t have been right? Sure Franco, sure.
Also can we acknowledge how creepy his game is? Like he’s just bombarding her with questions and coming of so desperate, which just adds to the gross factor of the situation. Eww.
Agree on both points. He’s a perv and apparently likes them very young and/or trashed. Ugh.
Yes, I think his desperate attempts and the fact that he is nearly 20 years older are the main creep factors here.
If he would be normal, funny and 21 I would have no issue with her being a few days before her 18th birthday.
Sleeping with an 18 y/o: skeevy by some people’s standards.
Sleeping with someone so high on drugs that you’re worried for them: rape.
We need not assume that failing to meet one person’s moral standards means failing to have any morals at all.
Good points, Jinni
If it’s a publicity stunt, it’s tiresome as hell. If it’s something that actually happened, it’s gross (and I don’t care that 17 is the age of consent in New York…a 35-year-old man who’s chasing high school girls is a creep).
Yeah…if a guy has to repeatedly ask me if I’m 18 (especially when I’m not), because he doesn’t want to go to jail…then that dude is a disgusting perv. If you’re gonna go younger, at least get someone who can drink legally.
Also, even though 17 is over the age of consent in New York, she is very clear in this conversation that she won’t be 18 until May, that she’s currently a high school student, and that she’s traveling with her mom. Apparently none of this is even slightly disturbing to Franco.
But WHY would anyone want *this* kind of publicity???? I get the faux romances but this is not the PR I’d want.
His communication sounded a little to real, and let’s be honest, desperate for just a PR stunt.
YUCK.
I hope he’s shamed into a little hole for a long time. I’m sure his MFA will bolster his ego plenty so no worries there.
YUCK.
It’s definitely not the kind of PR I’d want either, but we are talking about James Franco, the patron saint of lacking self-awareness.
I’m seeing some chatter elsewhere that this is something of a pattern for him, though, and that he was known for pursuing 18-year-old college freshmen when he was studying in New York. Apparently he was aggressive enough that it was off-putting to the girls, which I suspect is saying a lot given how much slack celebrities usually get.
So, yeah. YUCK.
Problem though is that he will not be shamed into a hole. He will get a pass and this girl will get yelled at.
@M.A.F. Yep, this exactly.
Sadly, you’re right, M.A.F.
True.
But I can still *wish* that he’s shamed into a hole with only his MFA to comfort him.
He is utterly disgusting either way.
I agree, Ladyslippers. Who’d want PR like this…gross!
Even if people think it was for PR, what was he going to do to the poor girl if she decided to visit his hotel and found out it was a fake offer? I’d be mortified.
She’s 17, she would of left secondary school when she was 16. Age of consent in UK is 16.
Do 16-year-olds head straight to university, sam? Or is there some sort of school between secondary school and university? She’s traveling with her mother on a birthday trip, so it doesn’t sound as if she lives as an independent adult.
The age of consent where this incident took place is 17, so that’s what would apply. It wouldn’t have been illegal for him to sleep with her, but that doesn’t prevent me from thinking something is gross or inappropriate. It’s not as if Miley Cyrus or Robin Thicke or John Mayer or any number of other celebrities people find revolting have broken any laws.
Eh….no. In the UK you might not leave school until you’re 18 if you stay on for A Levels or Highers (which is what this girl will be sitting as she’s from Scotland).
That is so GA-ROOOSSSS He coming off like them nasty pressed casual encounters Craigslist Trollbags
QQ no more CL casual encounters for you… 😀
No Mimi, now that I have a BF I have achieved the great Slutty whitewash of Respectability: Coupledom
You’d think millionaire celebrities and politicians would find an easier, safer, and more private way of hooking up with side pieces besides using Twitter. I don’t get it. Do these guys seriously believe that their tweets won’t go viral? Can’t these guys just go to a club or ask their handlers to bring a girl over for the night? This seems unnecessary. Do these guys get off from chatting with strangers?
I think the risk factor is part of the thrill.
Assuming it’s not a publicity stunt, he’s probably used to girls fawning over him and being too starstruck to tell anyone but their friends.
As I said above — who’d want this as a PR stunt???
This is obviously a promo for his movie. 🙂
It’s obvious he’s a creepo who likes young girls. Too young for him, consent or not it’s gross, creepy.
He’s probably also in denial he’s getting older, turning 36 yet looks 45.
Hugh Hefners girls are at the age of consent — it’s still creepy and GROSS. Men only think with their dVcks, no matter who they are.
I don’t think they are thinking with their d!cks alone. Some men don’t get no means no and they equally believe they are all that and a bag of chips — so who wouldn’t want them?
Those men that push it (like Hugh or James) have messed up *thinking*. We can all drool over young hot bodies but it’s actually following through with it that’s messed up.
I think people need to decide: Is he a pedo? Gay? Pervert? Het? Oh, I know what he is. He’s awesome at using social media. 😉
Hey, remember when he got an NYU prof fired over a bad grade? I think a 17 year old might be too emotionally developed for this tool.
That’s what made me dislike him. Entitled asshole.
A promo for his film? What film does he have out next lol?
It is not a publicity stunt. I was on this side of him once. Seeing this makes me feel sick. F—ing traumatized me.
Elaborate?
Creepy
Everyone knows people can easily take screenshots of a conversation and post them online. Is he too stupid to take that risk? Maybe he was trolling or something. No one on their right mind would do this. Specially if you happen to be a celebrity.
I disagree, I think celebs do this kind of stuff all the time.
He’s an arrogant douchebag. He probably figured that the girl whose panties he was trying to get into would be in complete AWE of the thing that is the Franco, and only brag about it to her friends.
Keep in mind–he’s starring in his own shitty book adaptation. I read the reviews for ‘Palo Alto’….majority of them pretty much say that if Franco hadn’t been a celeb, he would’ve never gotten published.
He is talentless as a a writer and his short stories are amateur at best. Gurl, you are not the male Alice Munro. He should stick to acting and stop being this multitasking faux artist, it is getting old.
They all think it won’t happen to them (celebrities and non-celebrities)
I’m sorry but I don’t know what #means. Can anyone help? I’m 28 and married by the way, God it’s like a whole new language invented for texts.
# is the universal symbol for hashtag (usually used on Twitter).
As in #francoisadouche.
Hashtags make it easy for people to track a topic. They’re overused on Twitter because everyone overtags, but they can be useful in a search.
Thank u so much! Although I knew the use of # like u explained but I didn’t get in the context it was used in this article. I thought Franco saying what’s your #meant something sexual.
Bedhead,
I disagree. I wouldn’t say it’s universally known as hashtag although right now it’s the most prevalent usage.
In each culture # has different meanings. In the US, and I believe Canada, it also means number. However, in other countries the meaning varies and goes by different name.
In the US alone the # sign can mean: hashtag, number, and pound sign (also relating to numbers). I forget what it meant in Japan but I do remember that it was nothing like our associated meanings. Same with other countries.
Please remember symbols are very culturally bound things.
in mathematics (and I guess in many other areas) # is used for number (as in “how much”), I guess here it was phone number
But not in every country does # = number.
What’s your #(number)
Yup, that is right. But many countries do not use it as it.
Although ladies and gentlemen,
In all our conversations about the various meanings associated with the # symbol, we overlooked some *serious* potential for snark.
The ‘fabulous’, ‘cultural’, ‘sensitive’, ‘artistic’, ‘intellectual’ James Franco doesn’t know that the # symbol doesn’t mean the same thing in the US as it does in the UK.
And me, the poor plebeian woman with ONLY a bachelors degree (although it is a BS degree) and no lofty graduate degree like his MFA (not to mention the fact that he’s a *professor* and a PhD candidate) knew that.
I feel just a teensy smug. I also still feel like throwing up cuz he’s still yucky. But I couldn’t resist the intense shade. What an a$$shate.
How about the fact that “artistic intellectual PhD candidate” uses symbols and high school level language in the first place?
Well Kelly there is that too.
I will never defend James Franco because he seems like a total douchebag. Trying to get into this girl’s pants is one of them.
BUT there are a few things I don’t understand.
1) Why is James Franco so desperate to chat up this girl? I mean, he is famous, he is good looking, he has money. Just go out and chat someone up or dial certain numbers for an escort girls. There are also some really young looking legal escorts out there if you are into that. You also avoid awful press incidents like that.
2) I never got the “magical line” thing. Yes, there HAS to be a legal line and 18 seems like a good age for that (note: in my country you can have sex with any adult man if you are 14 (!) and above as long as it is consensual and there is no relationship of dependence like pupil/teacher). But it’s just strange that in public opinion someone is a creep one day before the girl’s birthday and everything is ok and great one day afterwards. Personally I think the whole story is a lot more strange/creepy than the fact that the girl was a few days before 18. That this girl especially seems like a sheltered, naive one doesn’t make it any better certainly.
3) This has hardly to do with James Franco anymore, but rather society’s double standards. Because all the “hot” models out there that people see in ads and in magazines are sometimes well UNDER 18. They just wear a sh*tload of make-up and hardly any clothes and we live in a society where youth is some kind of holy and a teenager body a kind of beauty ideal. I actually think that’s creepy too and nobody has a problem with that. As long as you just get hot over the magazine photos the kinds of Uncle Terry shot (he is not the only perv fashion photographer out there) everything is ok. Yeah, sure.
.
Not everyone is okay with the sexualisation of teenage girls.
Yes, I realize that some people – esp. here – stop and think about it. But I was speaking about society in general which seems to be ok with it or otherwise we wouldn’t have it.
And I probably just needed to vent some of that here… Sorry 😉
No, I mean even off CB there are plenty of people that protest. It just gets drowned out by our alpha male culture.
This is a fact. I don’t think anyone in their right mind think sexualization of young girls is fine.
I totally disagree with teenagers being models, certain types of roles they play on movies, they shouldn’t be playing them…
Not that I don’t think he’s capable of the skeeze to pick-up a seventeen year old over Instagram (god I’m old – I have no idea how that even works) but I think he’s too much of a fame whore and this smells way too much like a publicity stunt.
But he might get labeled as a pedophile. How is that a label anyone wants?!? This isn’t a ‘safe’ stunt to do so I don’t think it is a PR move. It could and is, blowing up in a bad way.
Well, as I have said before, dum is the new stupid. I totally see this 35 year-old (pseudo-intellectual) genuine douche perv pulling this kind of thing. God, even if he somehow manages to get it across as one of his “performances”, I’m thinking he should contact Shia Le Boeuf as to where to purchase a suitable brown paper bag large enough to cover his big head. (Ewww, I just pictured him doing that the wrong way…)
I agree it is sleazy for a guy to try to pick up a girl who is half his age but the age of consent in New York State *is* seventeen. If people are going to label this idiot a pedophile because of this, well, first I would like to direct them to the definition of “pedophile” – someone who is attracted to pre-pubescent children, which most decidedly excludes a person aged seventeen. Being attracted to (or interested in) someone who is probably too young for you doesn’t equal pedophilia.
If there’s any backlash to this, it’s will stem from Franco’s determination to LaBeouf himself into a running punchline. And that’s a backlash I actually could get behind.
I’m not saying that people correctly use the term pedophile.
However, the results of this, if it continues to blow up, might not be good. This has long term career damaging potential and he might get the label regardless of its denotation.
Look at Doug Hutchinson or Michael Jackson. Icky labels can stick around longer than the crisis….
Michael Jackson was having sleepovers with pre-pubescent children, however. For him, the term is most certainly appropriate as he demonstrated, over and over, an inappropriate fixation on young boys and grooming them to spend time alone with him at his home. And also, of course, there were accusations of molestation.
Franco is just a showboating moron. Maybe if people took him seriously, it might be a label that would gain traction, but based on one instance of text messaging – which people quickly theorized was a Franco-driven stunt – with a girl who said she was one month shy of eighteen? No one is going to care beyond the twenty-four hour gossip cycle.
As others have mentioned, this apparently isn’t new for James. I wouldn’t be surprised if other young women come out of the woodwork claiming the same thing. And that indeed could put a damper on his career depending on the veracity and the number of claims.
This could potentially be a speed bump for his career or disastrous. All depends on how it plays out.
He’d have to be chatting up someone WELL under 17 to be considered a pedophile.
Not everyone defines pedophiles as having attraction to pre pubescent children. Many include attraction to pubescent and post pubescent children.
The term is actually pretty open as an attraction to children. What is a child can be debated.
He’s looks desperate and disgusting and she’s an idiot. How do you not know what # means?!?!
About the # thing. Anyone over a certain age sees the # as a number sign. Teenagers don’t know # is a number sign, they see it as a “hashtag” sign. This is now the society we live in.
It has different meanings in different cultures. For example, for the longest time, it was the number sign (as in what’s your number?) or the pound sign (also referring to numbers) in the US. The hashtag meaning is relatively new.
The girl is apparently Scottish, not American, so it might be a difference in usage. She doesn’t come across as particularly dumb in their conversation – she’s smart enough to be skeptical and to insist on proof of who she’s talking to.
The # sign is on every keyboard around the world…and it has been since the invention of keyboards. This is a generational issue. To “older” pepole # means number sign. To teenagers and kids, # means “hashtag”.
Me,
It IS on every keyboard but that doesn’t mean it conveys the same meanings across the world.
As far I remember, the # has an entirely different meaning in the UK above and beyond just the hashtag one.
Really? You think it means the same everywhere? To me, I don’t even use it and since I don’t have twitter or instagram, I had no idea what it meant in the sentence…
I dunno peeps, but # doesn’t mean number to me, and I’m 27. So there, I admitted it. The first thing that popped into my mind was hashtag as well. I’d personally write “no.” for shortened number, I’d never use # (who uses that anyway?? apart from artistic pedos clearly:P)
I’m 25 and can definitely remember my life before “hashtag”.
You’ve never seen “we’re #1” (for example)?? Come on. The # is used quite frequently.
Maybe I did forget it. But honestly, here in Europe, it isn’t used that much. Well not to my (limited:P) knowledge anyway.
But honestly, who writes “what’s your #”?!?! How hard is it to spell number??
That’s as dumb and pretentious as any hashtag teenage shit I’ve seen!
He was obviously trying to sound “young and cool” just like her, and it really backfired because all it proved was that he’s an old douchebag.
Kelly,
It’s actual fairly common in the US to write ‘what’s your #?’
Oh the death of the English language!
I’m instantly reminded of http://static.fjcdn.com/pictures/Sherlock+Is+A+Grammar+Nazi_d33478_3528964.jpg
I go with Kelly, here in Europe people don’t use it much… I’ve never seen my friends nor my students use # in any type of sentence on facebook…
I don’t know if they do this in other countries but where I stay, we also use the # sign to denote fractures in short form.
So skull fracture in our notes would be written as skull #……do medical personnel in other places also do this?
No ma’am.
In the US fracture is abbreviated to ‘fx’.
Example: I had a bilateral elbow fx and left wrist fx in 2008. (Car accident)
Is he really this dumb and desperate for pu$$y or publicity or both??
Damn Franco, sunk to another low, how do you do that. Amazing.
And somebody please educate me on what this “What’s your #?” means. And no, I’m not 17 either, sorry, some grown women don’t know this lingo as well.
He must be dumb and desperate.
YUCK.
As for the #, I took it to be her phone number as he already had her IG account because they were IMing and transitioned to texting, which would involve her phone # and be more private.
In the UK # doesn’t mean number though.
# is the number sign. It means “what’s your phone number?”.
It now is called a “hashtag” more than anything though.
Alrighty, thnx folks!
I’m confused isn’t Franco asking for her #, as in telephone number?
Yeah, he’s asking the girl for her phone number. Since she is only 17, to her the # symbol means “hashtag” and not “number” so that’s why she didn’t understand what he was asking.
I think all of these texts are real and that he totally tried to get with her. I don’t know why this is a surprise. This is James Franco we’re talking about. I do love how the girl played him, though. Hilarious. He’s gross.
Yeah, he comes off as dumb and kind of pathetic by the end of the conversation. She already said no. She already said that she was looking forward to telling her friends about this. What did he think was going on when she asked for that picture with her name in it?
That’s what makes me think it’s all a stunt. James can’t be this dumb. If so, wouldn’t hundreds of “underage” girls have come out about this by now? This is the first time we are hearing anything of the sort about him.
Me,
PLENTY of men are just this dumb. It proves he’s no exception.
LadySlippers
You’re right, there are A LOT of dumb men out there. It’s because they think with things other than their brains. I’m just surprised other girls haven’t come out about this. If he’s really into “young” girls, there must be others right? It’s just weird this came out now right before his movie about the SAME subject (teacher with under-age student) is about to come out. I guess he didn’t commit a crime, but it’s gross.
There are some stories floating around about other young girls, me. Apparently he has a pretty bad reputation at NYU. I was initially thinking ill-conceived publicity stunt as well, but it sounds like this is in character. If he usually goes after college women who are 18 or 19, I can see how it might not have gone public, as it’s the fact that this girl is 17 that’s attracting most of the attention.
@lunchcoma
Reading the other threads about him from when he was at NYU–a few people posted who went to college with him. They said that he would hit on the younger, 18-19 year olds…one of them said that he would sit in this student cafe, outside, and say to any moderately attractive girl (he did this to her)–‘I’m James Franco’….such a creep.
I hadn’t heard that particular story, Virgilia. That’s even more desperate than the text exchange above. I mean, does he have to announce to people that he’s James Franco? He can’t wait until people recognize him, as they surely will, or just rely on the fact that he’s a really good-looking guy to get women’s attention? It really shouldn’t be that hard.
The guy should stick to acting and forget about doing “performance art” if that is what he is trying to do. Or spend more time honing his writing/poetry skills because they suck.
Palo Alto is coming out soon. In this movie he plays a teacher starting an affair with an underage student. I wouldn’t put it past him to pull a pr stunt like this. He doesn’t care what people think about him. This is his crazy mind at work. Or I could be wrong, who knows.
Gossip Cop has a story about the film he has affair with teenage girl played by Emma Roberts.Coincidence?
Makes you wonder huh? We have to remember that celebs will do anything to get their movies noticed.
Most likely this is the true.
Agreed that this is shady. Agreed this could probably be (and likely is) a stunt. Just one quibble: please, teenage girls know what # is, even if it’s used as hashtag these days. I have a 14 year old sister who is hooked on IG and twitter, and she knows what # refers to if it stands on its own. This girl was probably doing what I would have done at her age when I get uncomfortable: delay, distract, play stupid, change the subject (“#? You mean like, hashtag or what’s my age? Ohhh number? Like, the number of days I’ll be here?”).
But not every country uses the # to mean the same thing. He’s American and she’s Scottish.
Good point, I didn’t think of that.
In North America, the first time the # was used to refer to a number was around 1990. It was also called the “pound sign”. Outside of North America, it is usually called the “hash key”. This is where the term “hash tag” came from.
Word,
I grew up knowing that the # sign meant number. That was before 1990.
@ LadySlippers
Haha I meant to type 1900 not 1990…my mistake !
Yes!
1900 is probably a tad closer!!!!!
Haha
😀
“Outside of North America, it is usually called the hash key”
AHA! I knew it! I’m not that stupid after all 😀
Honestly, when I see that sign I think hash symbol, not number symbol. Wait, that sounds like I think of drugs, hang on there.
Two thoughts on this: First legal or not, pursuing a legal teen when you are in your 30’s is creepy. I give him a serious Chris Hanson side eye.
Second- She was obviously trolling too. Insisting on confirmation and continuing the dialogue.
Both are disgusting for different reasons.
I disagree. I don’t think she was trolling.
She sounded like any normal person thinking they are getting scammed by talking to someone famous and I think her response is very normal.
Ok. Well on that we disagree. No biggie.
But how would you react? I’m serious when I ask the question.
She was probably curious, a bit flirty thinking it might be a cute boy her age (they do that), and once she figured out he might be really James Franco, she shut him down.
I know kids this age and this sounds *very* normal.
How could this be seen as trolling?!??
Since I cannot reply to your other post I have to reply here.
She met and photographed the actor after his show. She knows how old he is. She knows her age. How did these private DM’s all of a sudden make it to the public and why did she continuously ask him questions? I am NOT saying he is right in any way shape or form. I think he is creepy and pervy BUT I also think she is guilty of seeking attention in releasing the private DM’s and I do not feel she did it as a cautionary tale that Franco is a skeezy pervert.
Just my opinion on the matter. Both are creepy in my eyes. He is creepy in a much more sick way. Any adult man pursuing a 17 yr old even in a state where it is legal is disgusting and needs therapy.
Are you sure she met him beforehand? I did not get that at all from their interaction at all.
The article in the Daily Mail showed a photo of the girl with Franco in the background. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2596113/James-Franco-35-hits-schoolgirl-17-Instagram-series-texts.html
Agree with eliza in that the girl was also seeking attention by making this public. Not excusing Franco of course, but her actions are also very off.
Oh please stop the PR stunt bull crap. He wanted to sleep with her. His ego got flattered and he felt himself way too much and tried to hook up. And he suddenly changed his IG bio when things got out of control because he got played by a 17 years old, and he’s now trying to look innocent. Like really we should doubt it? If it really was a PR stunt, he would have said so ages ago, because he is just that arrogant to show off. That simple.
Between Goop’s crap divorce, this Dbag and Vanessa Paradis proclaiming child molester Woody Allen to be a genius I feel like I need a shower. A shower of Hiddles and Cumber curls.
Can we have one day of nothing but Hiddles and Cumber posts? It would be the only thing that makes me feel well again.
What Abbicci said!!
@Abbicci Hiddles won a prize for most sexy man today…. 🙂
There you have him
http://www.etcanada.com/blogs/etc_91780/tom-hiddleston-crowned-hottest-actor-of-2014/
And now he’s saying “I hope parents keep their teens away from me”??? FOR REAL? How about you stay the hell away from teenagers?? Creep…
Exactly.
But it’s not HIS fault. Nope. He’s *totally* innocent.
(Grrrrrr)
It’s never the grown man’s fault! Don’t you know that! It’s these pesky sluts luring the innocent horny male into their luscious developed bodily traps! The she monster made Adam fall and she keeps repeating that again and again and again and what is a poor defenseless male to do!!! OH THE AGONY AND ECSTASY, write a poem Franco please!! Tame the temptress!!
I didn’t even know that you could send private messages on Instagram.
I know nothing about Instagram either. Just wondering did she send him a message first, or did he send her one first?
Yes you can send private messages on IG as of a month or so ago.
I think she tagged him on the original video and then they started messaging.
Just when you begin to like the guy he turns around and does something that reminds everyone why we thought he was an a–hole in the first place. On that note, this is shady but I don’t think illegal, especially since age of consent is 17 in NY but I always thought he was a bit of a sexually repressed perv who hid behind his “art” to avoid revealing his true self so I’m honestly not that surprised. I mean come on even Selena Gomez is rumored to have hooked up with this skeezball.
if that was my daughter I would find him and gut him.
Grossssss!!! Curious… I think the majority of men his age and older would jump at the chance to hook up with an 18 year old. Am I way off on this?
Nope, I’m sure you’re very accurate. I think there is a reason the “catholic school girl” fantasy is so popular. Gross.
Fantasy is different from reality.
A lot of men try to make their fantasies a reality…therefore preying on underage girls. I’m not saying Franco did this, I’m just saying there are men out there that fantasize about this and try very hard to make it a reality. It is gross.
I’m not saying some men aren’t gross. Some men are very gross but I don’t think fantasizing itself is bad — that’s normal. It’s trying to make a fantasy real that has the potential to be gross.
Cro-girl, dunno if you’re way off, but I kinda think you’re right.
It’s probably a PR stunt but a really really strange one. It just makes look creepy
I don’t understand why he would do this as a PR stunt.
If this is real and not a stunt, I would say the girl is nuts. I would have totally been down to hook up with a hot, older actor when I was 17. Maybe it’s skeevy on Franco’s part, but it could have been a lot of fun for her.
It’s legal. Who cares. Non issue.
SHADY, esp. given the age range. i mean, come ON. Franco has always come across to me as the type of guy who hits on younger women/teens because women his age know what a d-bag he really is and won’t give him the time of day. Girls 17, 18, 19 are typically more likely to get taken in by his so-called charm and flattery, which is called something else when you’re older and wiser and can spot the good men from the bad. Definitely younger women ARE more attuned to things than they might have been when I was that age, but still. Some things don’t change, like getting overly excited and taken advantage of by someone famous and in show biz as he is. In my humble opinion!
I can understand the creep status label due to her being underage, but I don’t see the public dragging someone like Derek Jeter for dating a 22 year old. The age gap there is on a creepy level as well, but Derek gets “pat on the back, you da man” articles about it instead of what this Franco guy is getting.
she is 18. she just wanted her 15 minutes of fame. stupid girl. shes ugly too