Seth Rogen is finally weighing in on those sexual misconduct allegations against his longtime friend James Franco.
Rogen recently sat down with Vulture to discuss his upcoming Netflix special “Hilarity For Charity,” his likable stoner persona and his work on “The Disaster Artist,” which Franco directed.
When Vulture’s David Marchese asked Rogen about five women’s accusations of sexual misconduct against Franco, the actor responded somewhat hesitantly.
“The truth is that my perspective on this is the least relevant perspective. I’m friends with these people and I’m a dude,” Rogen said. “All that combined makes me the last person who should be talking about this.”
Rogen added that the allegations do not change his willingness to work with Franco in the future.
In an explosive Los Angeles Times article in January, four actresses and one filmmaker said Franco asked them to perform sexually inappropriate and coercive scenes during a class he taught. According to the report, the women described Franco “storming off” a movie set when they refused his demands to appear naked.
Franco said the allegations were “not accurate,” but that he supports “people coming out and being able to have a voice.” His film “The Disaster Artist” won best actor awards at both the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards, and was nominated for an Oscar.
Rogen said he’s very aware of being a white man in an industry that lacks diversity and has a real issue with sexism and sexual harassment. That awareness, he said, definitely influences his work.
“This is not in any way about pandering, but I think ‘Neighbors 2’ had an incredibly progressive message. I think ‘Blockers’ has an incredibly progressive message. We hired Kay Cannon to direct it and she did an amazing job,” Rogen said. “We’re hyperaware of trying to be as representative as possible in the directors and writers and actors we work with. I’m sure we could definitely be doing more to be ahead of the curve in that way, but, again, I couldn’t be more aware that my perspective is not one people are clamoring for.”
Head over to Vulture to read Rogen’s full interview.