Time’s Up came for James Franco a bit late. Back in January, as Franco was in the midst of a full-on Oscar campaign, the LA Times ran an exposé on how Franco had exploited, bullied and abused young women at his screwed up “acting school.” There were other claims about Franco abusing women and costars too. I believed all the women. Since then, Franco minorly took a step back and he ended up not getting an Oscar nomination (yay) and he’s been in the wind for months. He popped up on Monday night at the Broadway opening of the new play Straight White Men. He was not alone – that’s his girlfriend, Isabel Pakzad.
James Franco and his younger girlfriend, Isabel Pakzad, made a rare public appearance on Monday at the Broadway opening of “Straight White Men.” Franco, 40, and Pakzad, 25, posed on the red carpet with big grins on their faces. The “Disaster Artist” star dressed casually in a button down and jeans while his girlfriend donned a floral frock with a cropped white jacket.
The couple’s rare outing comes months after five women came forward and accused the actor of sexual misconduct. He denied all their claims. Since then, Franco’s kept a low profile, filming “The Deuce” and hanging out in the Hamptons.
There’s been a lot of talk about whether various predators and abusers can make any kind of “comeback.” Various “outed” abusers have already tried, with industry-magazine articles and interviews and their publicists leaking soft-focus information to Page Six. This feels like Franco’s test case – he’s seeing how people react to seeing him on a red carpet for the first time in months. He’s seeing if they still remember. Yeah, we still remember. As for his girlfriend… well, of course he’s dating someone 15 years younger. Dear Isabel: just know that everyone would support you if you dumped him.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I see that he adopted a pedo moustache. Suits him. *irony*
I came here to say the same thing. And his amd his girlfriend’s body language is awkward to say the least.
it might be for his role in Deuce, where he plays a barman in NY in the seventies.
I have always gotten a dirtbag vibe from James. Of course I believe the women who have come forward with their stories.
As far as Hollywood is concerned, you can do some of the most despicable things and all can be forgiven. Roman Polanski, case in point. He was convicted and he won an Oscar for best director for the Piano.
Oh look, a piece of trash had an evening out. Just to be clear I will never ever ever support a project he is part of. Setting up a school and using it to victimize young women? He’s a predator.
Isabel, whoever you are (and the fact that I don’t know helps me understand why you’re dating him), you’re 25. Time to start growing a brain.
f*ck that creep
So Isabel’s not on board with #MeToo?
The body language. Do they even know each other?
That’s what I came here to say, he’s always given me Troy McClure vibes (Simpsons) and his whole arc on 30 rock with Jenna. Dude needs to stop using these young girls at beards and just own his shirt and possibly get some help for it (because sadly I don’t think his predilection is just of a gray variety )
Not trying to sound creepy or anything but when I saw them Monday night walking around, it looked like they’d just met ie they met in a bar and were going back to one of their apartments or something.
The body language in the pictures is how they appeared in real life.
His girlfriend looks like a younger version of Jennifer Connelly.
Funny thing is I actually saw him Monday night in NYC. I was there for my birthday and was walking around the Times Square area. I looked up and saw him with his girlfriend. I don’t think anyone else recognized him though because there wasn’t a frenzy around him or anything. He hailed a cab and then they left.
The only thing I could think of when I saw him is: I guess he adopted the creepy mustache to go along with his personality.
this brings up a GREAT point about what happens after someone’s outted as a predator…. for celebs, there’s recognition/awareness… like even *if a predator (e.g., roman polanski) has some sort of comeback, that person can’t escape the stories/history….
BUT what about nonfamous predators? this piece (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/27/opinion/sunday/metoo-comebacks-charlie-rose.html) covers it perfectly… the idea of “pass the trash” for nonfamous predators who have way better chances of escaping the history… just chilling…
and what’s the answer? how do we deal with the outted nonfamous predators?
Great article, and it has been my worry too. Do we want #metoo to mainly bash and ostracize the rich and famous, even though they have enough money to be ostracized and still survive? What happens, for lack of a better word, to the everyday abuser. You know the one who didn’t commit a crime or at least a crime the victim doesn’t want to pursue. You don’t want them in jail, but you don’t really want them working with you. I know people seem to be fervent in their pursuit of the “Hollywood” abuser, but what about the guy most of us have dealt with before. Also, Hollywood does have it’s share of abusers, but so does a lot of industries that don’t get the hype. One story which hasn’t gotten much press lately is Steve Wynn and his staff at his hotels. Apparently, not just with Steve, but there is a whole industry where a lot of these marginalized women are abused for a low level job.
Sure Franco a creep, and the 70’s mustache doesn’t help, but like a lot of these causes I wish we would try for the bigger picture and discussion.
I still don’t know how he got a pass for the whole flirting with a minor on IG thing. That’s some bullshit right there.