A week ago, the LA Times published their exposé on James Franco and his history of being a shady, sketchy, exploitative and sexually harassing douchebag. The more that I think about it and read insidery media pieces about the LAT piece, the more I believe that the LA Times published the story before they really wanted to. Like, I think it’s completely possible that the LA Times’ journalists were working on an exposé of Franco before the Golden Globes, and then all of that sh-t went down at the Globes – with Ally Sheedy’s tweets, and other victims’ tweets – and so the LAT went with what they had as quickly as they could get it out. What I’m saying is that it would not surprise me at all if the LAT or another paper did a more in-depth exposé at some point in the near future.
In the meantime, voting has closed on the Oscar-nomination part of the Academy’s voting. Many fear that Franco was exposed too late (ew) and that he’s going to end up with an Oscar nomination. He already skipped the Critics Choice Awards – will he skip the SAGs this Sunday? He’s nominated for Best Actor. According to People Magazine, he wants to go to the SAGs. And he’s trying to make calls behind-the-scenes to make sure that no one is going to expose him even further.
James Franco is digging into his past in the wake of allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior.
“James has been reaching out to former girlfriends for the past month asking about his behavior,” a source tells PEOPLE. “He’s known this was coming and was trying to get ahead of the story.”
Following news of the allegations, Franco, 39, took a step back from the spotlight — even skipping the Critics Choice Awards last week where he won the Best Actor honor for his role in The Disaster Artist. But despite being a no-show, Franco is still set to attend the Screen Actors Guild Awards this weekend, where he is nominated for Best Actor.
“There is no reason to believe that he won’t be there,” says a source close to Franco.
In an article published in the Los Angeles Times on Jan. 11, five women accused the actor of abusing his power as an acting teacher and mentor in a sexually exploitative manner. In it, two students claimed the actor would often become angry on set when they would refuse to film topless while another former acting student at the film school Franco founded said he once removed safety guards while filming an oral sex scene on the set of the 2015 film The Long Home. Additionally, actress Violet Paley recounted her previous social media claims that Franco exposed himself and tried to pressure her into oral sex. Though she said they had a consensual relationship, Paley said: “that time wasn’t consensual.” She also alleged that he told her friend to meet him in a hotel when the friend was 17.
“James has been reaching out to former girlfriends for the past month asking about his behavior.” Yeah, I’ll bet. I wonder how those calls will go. “Look, if People Magazine or The Hollywood Reporter calls you, what will you say? Oh, I don’t remember it that way. Hey, can I buy you a new car?” That’s exactly what’s happening. As for Franco cautiously planning on attending the SAGs… I hope the Time’s Up Lady Mafia hiss at him and throw things at him.
Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News.
Yea it looks great that he’s “reaching out” to people. Because when I’ve been assaulted I would LOVE to hear from the guy that did it. Remember when Nate Parker called his victim too?
The sheer audacity of men I swear
Exactly right. I have my own reasons for loathing him, amounting to strictly professional pettiness on my part — but your point is less petty and far more substantive.
oooh! Do explain!
Franco, it’s not your girlfriends you should reach out to, it’s the women you treated as disposable.
That 17 year old, for example. Maybe your one night stands. The actresses in your ‘school’.
The nice read is that he got his ass kicked, took his lumps and is trying to figure out how he went wrong. The realistic read is that he got his ass kicked, decided to do damage control, and will change nothing.
Exactly.
He’s reaching out to girlfriends to ask them to vouch for him a la Depp.
All about the intimidation, even now. These fu****s make me sick
He really benefitted from the Aziz ansari story because it took a lot of attention off him so I am unsurprised he is going now.
I’d be so embarrassed to show my face. I too hope the Time’s Up ladies will scorch him.
An innocent man wouldn’t need to reach out to anyone…go hard on his (not) sorry ass, ladies.
There’s something I love about this nightmarish period: the thought of all those abusive a..h..s we still don’t know nothing about freaking out about the possibility of being finally exposed by their victims.
Oh I’m sure… “Calling and asking about his behaviour” is code for trying to get them to not say anything.
I can’t wait for him to burn!
Let the chips fall!
My curiosity is about If Casey Affleck will present the Oscar.
And I think it is super rich that Gary Oldman was wearing a pin too and even donated to times up and nobody is pointing the hipocresy of it.
James Franco reaching the women to explain his own version is something else, and why his team want the public to know that he is doing it.
What is going on with PR in Hollywood? They are really doing a mess nowadays
I’ve said for awhile that I believe Casey Affleck will be “unavailable” on Oscar night. Not “sick”, that’s too obvious. Maybe a work commitment? Where are he and Alfonso Curaon filming that Netflix series? Although if it’s filming in Vancouver his absence will still be a painfully obvious dodge.
Come to think of it the arrogant bastard may just show up. No carpet or interviews, just show up. It’s really hard for most actors in that position to innocently explain away an absence from the Oscars.
As I’ve said before the happiest actors this awards season (both innocent and otherwise) are those currently filming or acting in plays far from the Hollywood scene who have no reason to be interviewed or be making appearances. This year is the first year almost no one wants that attention.
He would be really dumb and arrogant to show up. There is a good chance someone will call him out LIVE in front of the world. He was lucky when he was in the news it was a different time and he didnt get outed now. (Just like Cate Blanchett should thank the gods most bad press is now focused on Kate Winslet, who did everyone else a huge favour by being a gigantic moron without empathy.) Realistically he could dodge a lot of stuff if he disappears for a while. Sad but true.
“There is a good chance someone will call him out LIVE in front of the world.“
They won’t get that chance though. He won’t be made available for interviews and won’t go near the carpet.
I don’t think the Academy wants him there in this climate so his people will need some excuse. I bet they are wishing they had gotten him acting in a play so it would be understandably impossible for him to fly out and attend. Anything else is going to look like a dodge.
“Realistically he could dodge a lot of stuff if he disappears for a while. Sad but true.”
That’s the wise move, for him and Franco and anyone in this spot. The Internet word of twitter and message boards is not really representative of the general public, which moves on quickly (or doesn’t really care that much). The media will move on to what the general public is interested in. That’s our world.
He will show up IMHO. He won’t walk the red carpet but will present I think. He’s already shown to be very brazen on this topic. But then again, his PR is smart too, so who knows. His career remains completely unharmed either way.
Look I’ve always found him gross so I’ll just look at the PR side of this. This seems…unwise. On the one hand it is trying to send a “no big deal signal” , on the other hand that also sends a signal that you are not remorseful. I think it’s bad to do this so soon and will likely backfire. I mean, is anyone going to want to be in photos with him? Be filmed applauding when his name is read among the nominees? Sooooo awkward.
The coming months will tell the tale, but HBO is not dropping him from The Deuce as far as I know.
It’s not the girlfriends making these allegations. It’s all the other women you’ve come into contact with and treated like disposable commodities there only for your physical amusement. And I doubt those women are taking your calls. Douchecanoe.
Douchecanoe??? I am from Canada … this I am stealing. XO
Does he think this is already over? I mean with many predators being called out it must feel a little like the pressure is of his back but he is among the most famous ones. Internationally, too. Most non americans dont know Matt Lauer or Harvey Weinstein (who also wasnt famous to most americans)
Burn him down. Pompous douche.
If the LA Times weren’t ready to publish, then they shouldn’t have published.
Poorly written, poorly researched and poorly executed articles, like the LAT and the babe.net article on Ansari muddy everything and leave wriggle room for people to intentionally misunderstand and make false equivalences.
Why include the detail that one of his accusers was upset Franco fell asleep in a class? Why tell us that Ansari had ordered white when Grace preferred red? These details make the women look pissed off and petty.
Why drop a bomb about Franco removing a guard when simulating oral sex, without giving any context? That sounds horrific to me. Did nobody else notice? Did the actress mention it to anyone? Had someone decided it was necessary for the shot? Did Franco touch the woman without the guard on? Those things are all really f-cking important, but we’re not given any answers. These b-llshit articles in their rush to capitalise on a moment do such a disservice to the moment, and the women they are allegedly standing up for.
Exactly! I don’t know why the LA times article didn’t receive the same criticism. It was VERY poorly written. There should have been much more explanation on the context of the improvised scenes and the removal of guards. All the scenarios left room for many question because of poor development. One of the women, Sarah Kaplan, explained her accusations in a much more understandable way on twitter. It should have been written that way in the article.
I was talking to my sister about this, as we had both read both the LAT and babe.net articles. One of us thought Ansari and Grace had had sex, the other one said they didn’t. One of us thought Franco had performed oral sex on an actress without her consent, the other one didn’t think that had happened.
Those things should be clear in an article where you are alleging such horrifying things. I too read the tweets, but I shouldn’t need to have to do further reading, you know? The articles should have had clear cogent points, and they didn’t. That’s a failure on both journalists and publications.
So the Academy is probably going to KNOWINGLY award another sexual predator, TWO years in a row! 1st – Affleck and now this douchecanoe! I’m so over these awards shows anyway. While do think people should be lauded for work well done, when your work gives you a large public platform and you poop all over it…then you are done and there will be no accolades for you. I don’t care if you cured cancer…you are done!