James Franco did not attend the Critics Choice Awards last night. You know why. It was because ever since Franco turned up at the Golden Globes with that Time’s Up button, all of Franco’s victims have been coming out to tell their stories. Franco’s half-assed acting studio was basically his hunting ground to harass and abuse young women. Various costars have come out to say that Franco harassed and assaulted them as well.
It’s worth noting that Franco actually won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy, because I guess people didn’t realize that Kumail Nanjiani actually gave the funniest and most charming performance of the year. Franco also won Best Comedic Actor at the Critics Choice Awards. There’s apparently a lot of concern that Franco is going to end up with an Oscar nomination this year for The Disaster Artist. The Oscar-nomination voting period ends today, and Academy sources are saying off-the-record that Franco could be nominated in the Best Actor category.
Voting for Oscar nominations closes tomorrow….as I said earlier, several Academy members told me they were nervous he would be nominated…stories about his alleged misconduct didn't land until the past couple days with the big one, LAT, today. https://t.co/6dS1Y3YEbK
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) January 12, 2018
If this was 2017, I would say that it was Peak 2017 if James Franco got nominated for an Oscar. But in 2017, Casey Affleck f–king won an Oscar, so maybe we need some new standards for Peak 2018. I think there’s a good chance Franco will be nominated this year. But Peak 2018, can he not f–king win?
Meanwhile, People Magazine tried to help Franco do damage control. People’s sources say that Franco is “stepping back from the spotlight” and “He’s in a really bad place, so bad that he changed his phone number. His close friends are trying to be there for him but it’s been hard – he’s only talking to a select group of people. For now, he’s just hiding out.” Poor predator, huh? When Seth Meyers asked Franco about the accusations this week, this is what Franco said:
“There are people that need to be heard. I have my own side of this story, but I believe in these people that have been underrepresented getting their stories out enough that I will hold back things that I could say, just because I believe in it that much. So if I have to take a knock because I’m not going to try and actively refute things, then I will, because I believe in it that much.”
He believes in #MeToo so much that he’s willing to sit back and not defend himself and call these women liars. I think that’s what he’s saying. Wouldn’t it have been easier for him to just say “wow, I’m a f–king serial predator, I’m so sorry”?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Ugh you’re gross dude. The fact that you used your classes and acting schools as a hunting ground makes you a predator.
Please step right off that “ally” pedestal you placed yourself on
These people are narcissists and have enormous egos.They will never admit to being predators.All we can do is never forget and boycott them.Personally,ever since that story about Franco hitting on that 17 years old came out,I can’t help but feel disgust for him.
On a side note I don’t know if anyone saw that video of Weinstein being “attacked” on TMZ.
Oh how the mighty have fallen! Up until a few months ago Harvey would have ruined that guy,now he gets slapped like an unruly child for anyone to see.Lol at his bodyguard asking What are you going to do about it while his client gets slapped around.
He wont be nominated. I can feel it.
I think he will simply because voting closes now and most members would have already voted. He’s hosted, he’s been nominated before, he’s been nominated for other awards this season … he won’t win (wouldn’t have anyway) but he’s likely in.
It’s going to be very interesting to see whether he goes. Ditto Casey Affleck. And if Gary Oldman’s shit gets exposed, him too by the time the ceremony rolls around. I think we’re heading for a second round of stories: this isn’t over.
I think he will be nominated too. He’s been on a lot of other awards lists so far this season.
don’t jinx it!
Dear James,
Please try introspection (look it up if you don’t understand) and then try saying that you are sorry for your past actions and have donated 1million dollars to Times Up.
If he’s nominated I don’t think it’s voters condoning his behaviour. A lot of people fill out their ballots as soon as voting opens. This story broke almost a week too late for it to have a significant impact unfortunately.
I have a feeling he wasn’t going to be nominated anyway though. A lot of Academy members are still pissed at him for the way he hosted the awards, and it’s a strong year for Best Actor.
Most people don’t like falling in social standing. Most predators hate it.But it’s not because they feel badly for their victims, no, they just feel badly they’ve been called out.
And Franco, restitution doesn’t start with a pity party for yourself and a pr bid for support.
He couldn’t get in trouble when he wore your ‘times up”lapel pin at the Golden Globes. But I bet the Hollywood crowd knew all too well about James Franco and did their obligatory “I didn’t know” and turned a blinds eye in denial for the last few years. He has been doing the male predator part for years.
Academy members can keep their concern…they had no problem nominating Mel Gibson and giving a win to Casey Affleck last year. I don’t want to hear it from those hypocrites.
I don’t know why a celeb like Franco would need to resort to this sort of behaviour to try and get laid. I’m baffled by it. Not only is it wrong but it seems so unnecessary.
ITA!
is not even for the sex itself but the high they get of being able to overpower women, or anyone else.
Power.
I 100% believe that because Franco asked women he help power over to strip he doesn’t think it was harrassment. I’ll bet he thinks that he gave them a choice.
Otherwise known as the Louis CK “mind if I whip out my willy” defence. Sigh.
so polite! LOL
I’m positive he thinks that they had a choice. He also probably thinks that he was an amazing student who earned his degrees solely on merit.
And Gary Oldman gets a pass because???
The big question : will Casey Affleck be there to present the prize?
Because the ex-wife who accused him in court of domestic violence was found to be such a mess by the judge that Oldman was awarded sole legal and physical custody of the kids. Not primary, SOLE. She also had another child and that child’s father also, you guessed it, has sole custody. Yes I know that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen…but come on! There comes a point. Also regardless that is massively damning to her credibility.
As far as the horrible stuff he has said? Two words: Mel Gibson. Three words: Multiple Oscar nominations. Three more words: They don’t care.
My guess is Creepy Affleck is going to have a filming and/or family commitment that precludes his attendance.
Mel Gibson himself was allowed to have multiple Oscar nominations last year, hell he himself was nominated for director, that tells you all about the industry.
That’s the thing—he doesn’t need to. It’s purely a power trip—he’s doing it because he can. Just makes it all the more disgusting.
True.
I read the expose on Franco yesterday, and I am now wondering: Under what circumstances would it not be predatory for a more powerful person to have sexual relations with a less powerful person?
That’s a good question, that I happen to not know the answer to. But definitely something to think on.
I would think when you’re not their boss: when they’re not working for you, when you’re not planning to have them work for you, and when they are not aspiring to work for you. And even then your power comes with a price: you having to take responsibility when the relationship goes tits up. That you will not blackball someone from your shared industry because they refused you or because a relationship didn’t work out.
i’m sure these powerful wealthy actors can wipe their tears with 100 dollar bills.
I think he will get the nom but will just lose to another problematic white man.
I’m pretty sure he’s going to get nominated. Casey Affleck won last year…
I disagree that (at least based on what we’ve heard so far) he’s a “predator using these classes as a hunting ground”. He’s immensely, obliviously privileged and clearly shows no respect for women’s bodies, and he has really gross personal preferences for young (but apparently not illegal) young women, but aside from having the women remove their vagina shields (ugh) he hasn’t done anything illegal. It’s good that his sad acting school was shuttered, as it was entirely an exercise in him blowing hot air up his own a$$ and it’s biggest selling point was supposed to be that it would funnel actors into his productions (which it didn’t). And I have a hunch that we’re going to hear his name called. It was just too close to the nomination deadline. Which, I have to admit that I kind of have a perverse desire to have it happen, because not only will he not be able to escape to spotlight, but it will likely bring Casey Affleck back into the conversation too. The Academy has a history of honoring shady characters, and this time they wouldn’t be able to hide it under PR.
What he did may not have been illegal, but I’m still on board with calling him predatory and saying his “school” was a hunting ground. He used his power and status to take advantage and harass.
My guess is nomination but no win, and I’ll be real curious to see if he shows up. Affleck I’m sure will have some sort of “conflict” and conveniently avoid the ceremony. I too am glad his awfulness is being talked about again.
Besides removing the shields, how did he harass and abuse people? I have a genuine question b/c I really don’t get it. It’s awful that he had little respect for women and gave them non-speaking roles with lots of nudity only, but I don’t get how he harassed/abused/coerced.
Adding to my previous comment, Affleck had some of the worst allegations, FAR worse than Franco, and yet is relatively unscathed and still getting parts because it came out before Weinstein!
The women may have willingly signed off on some of the nude/sex scenes. However, the LAT article also notes that when they were on set, the actresses were asked to film some “bonus” sex scenes-such as the orgy scene-that were not in the script. One woman, who refused to shoot the scene was reportedly dismissed from the film. This could be seen as harassment/coercion. They had to film the scene or they would lose their job.
Then when the you add the fact that he removed their shields during the scene, it comes across as even more predatorial.
I’m reserving my judgement…. would be very disappointed. Some men are pigs, lets face it. But it’s not always illegal what they’re doing. That guy who wrote men are from mars and women are from Venus was spot on. Men and women do not understand each other.
I am convinced these predators genuinely believed they could do anything they wanted to anyone and the women would be grateful – that because they are stars everyone wanted to have sex with them. No-one has been prosecuted for anything they have done, they r treating it like it’s an illness or addiction that they hav no controll over. Nothing will change unless they r treated like any other sex offender.
We are discussing about harassing accusations involving whoever: so, why there is no post about Mario Testino and Bruce Weber?