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Seth Rogen is standing by the decision that ended Hollywood's most recognizable intellectual relationship.
After years of James Franco's career being marred by allegations of sexual misconduct, Rogen says nothing has changed when it comes to where they stand today – professionally or personally.
Rogen was recently asked about his longtime friendship with Franco, with whom he collaborated on a series of hit shows, including “Pineapple Express,” “This Is the End” and “The Interview” before publicly distancing himself from the actor following allegations that surfaced in 2018.
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Seth Rogen talked about the current state of his relationship with James Franco in a new interview. (Laurent Koffel/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
When asked how he went about ending such an important friendship, Rogen admitted that the topic is always personal.
“I mean, I'm trying to think how much I want to share personally about this,” Rogen told the New York Times' “The Daily” podcast.
During the interview, it was noted that society continues to face questions about accountability, forgiveness and whether people who misbehave should be accepted into people's lives.
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Seth Rogen confirms he hasn't spoken to James Franco in a while and has no plans to reunite professionally after allegations of misconduct ended their relationship. (Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Moet & Chandon)
Rogen declined to divulge details but made it clear that his position has not changed.
“Honestly I think the nuance of it is too private for me to get into right now. It's a very personal thing, and I think there's something like the public side of it, which I've talked about, and I have the same public stance that I had,” Rogen said.
“And I think the proof is in the pudding more than anything. I haven't worked with him in years, you know, but the personal side … it's very nuanced, and it involves people I don't know or should be drawn into,” he continued.
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“I don't know what I can gain by going too deep into this moment, but I can say everything I said … nothing has really changed since the last time I talked about all this.”
Rogen then released his clearest statement yet about the future of their relationship, saying, “I haven't worked with him in a long time, and I have no plans.”
Seth Rogen and James Franco have worked together in several films, including “Pineapple Express” and “The Interview.” (Barry King/Getty Images)
When asked if he still talks to Franco, Rogen replied, “I haven't talked to him in a while, no.”
The comments come as Franco tries to rebuild his acting career after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced.
The actor was first accused of sexual misconduct by five women in a Los Angeles Times report published in January 2018.
A year later, former students filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging that Franco and his colleagues pressured students to perform lewd scenes on camera and misbehave with female students at the acting school he founded with his business partner Vince Jolivette.
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James Franco settled the class action lawsuit against him in 2021. (Jesse Grant/WWD via Getty Images)
According to the complaint, the women alleged that they paid monthly to study at the school and were threatened and sexually harassed while being promised opportunities to act.
Franco agreed to settle the case in June 2021, signing a $2.235 million settlement.
Despite this controversy, Franco slowly returned to acting and appeared in 2024 in an exit from the controversy during an interview with Variety while promoting the Italian film “Hey Joe.”
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“I'm very happy with the performance,” said Franco. “I went into court, and during that trial I was out of work. But then COVID hit, so everybody was out of work. So, I don't know, it was just… I mean, we were all in it. So it was like, 'I don't know what I am.'
Franco also talked about the breakdown of his friendship with Rogen, revealing that although he made efforts, the two never communicated.
In 2024, Franco said he was “very grateful to work” after his career was sidelined by the allegations. (Photos by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty)
“No. I haven't talked to Seth yet,” Franco told Variety. “I love Seth, we had 20 wonderful years together, but I think it's over. And not for not trying. I told him how much he meant to me.”
Franco is best known for his roles in “Spider-Man,” “127 Hours” and other Hollywood hits.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Rogen and Franco for comment.
Christina Dugan Ramirez of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
