Along with many others, James Franco wore black in support of the #TIMESUP movement at Sunday’s Golden Globes event in support of women in Hollywood who have come out against men in Hollywood who have assaulted them.
As soon as Franco won the award for Best Actor in A Musical Or Comedy for his role as Tommy Wiseau in “The Disaster Artist,” Franco came under fire online.
Actress Violet Paley sent out a tweet on her account claiming that Franco sexually assaulted her and once tried to lure her 17 year old friend up to his hotel room.
http://twitter.com/VioletPaley/status/950252181965410304
Paley confirmed that she was an adult and not a teen at the time and had a consensual relationship with Franco, but the alleged encounter was against her will.
Another actress by the name of Sarah Tither-Kaplan, who was a student of Franco’s acting school, also took to Twitter to comment on the pin Franco wore.
This is not the first time Franco has been called out for actions such as these. In 2014, Franco attempted to pick up a 17 year old girl over social media. The girl, who was visiting New York from Scotland at the time, met Franco outside his Broadway production of “Of Mice and Men,” and they began talking through messages on Instagram, which eventually leaked.
I love how quickly Hollywood forgets…. as James Franco stands up there with his #timesup pin that he not so long ago tried to knowingly get an underage girl to come to his hotel room. #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/2GvZ8JkTxM
— Liv-TVThings Analyst🇸🇱 (@DontBscaredRude) January 8, 2018
Franco later defended himself during an interview on “The Howard Stern Show” after being scrutinized:
“Seventeen is legal in New York, but that being said, it’s still pretty damn young. They make it out like I’m pursuing young women. I’m not going to high schools looking for dates. I’m leaving my work and they’re coming there. So, I’m seeing attractive women.”
Along with Paley and Tither-Kaplan, “The Breakfast Club” actress, Ally Sheedy shared some cryptic tweets name dropping Franco, but they were since deleted.
Sheedy starred in the 2014 Franco-directed Off-Broadway play, “The Long Shift.” She didn’t accuse Franco of anything but her tweets speak volumes: “Why is a man hosting? Why is James Franco allowed in? Said too much.”
Franco also made headlines in 2014 when he shared a selfie, seemingly out of the blue, wearing nothing but his briefs which were pulled down below his waist. His hand was covering his crotch in the suggestive photo.
It doesn’t seem like Franco will be cleaning up his act anytime soon, but something has to change. In the text exchanges, the “don’t tell” says a lot about Franco. He knows what he is capable of with his stardom and his hold over women. Franco needs to start bettering himself from here on out and think twice before he supports a movement of which he is on the wrong side.
