(UTV | COLOMBO) – Seth Rogen has revealed he has no plans to work with his former long-time collaborator James Franco following allegations against Franco of sexually inappropriate behavior.
Speaking with The Sunday Times, Rogen addressed the allegations along with his own regrets about a poor taste joke he made in the past during a 2014 SNL opening monologue.
Rogen tells the outlet: “What I can say is that I despise abuse and harassment and I would never cover or conceal the actions of someone doing it, or knowingly put someone in a situation where they were around someone like that. However, I do look back at a joke I made on ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 2014 and I very much regret making that joke. It was a terrible joke, honestly.”
Allegations of sexual misconduct were made against Franco in 2018 when several students at his former acting school accused him of intimidating them into sexual situations. Franco denied the allegations and a subsequent lawsuit was settled in February.
Despite the allegations, Rogen has said in an interview back in 2018 he would continue to work with Franco. That’s no longer the case: “the truth is that I have not and I do not plan to right now.”
He adds it is “not a coincidence” his professional relationship with Franco seems to have come to an end, and it appears to have affected their personal friendship as well: “I don’t know if I can define that right now during this interview. I can say it, um, you know, it has changed many things in our relationship and our dynamic.”
Asked if this has been painful, Rogen says: “Yeah. But not as painful and difficult as it is for a lot of other people involved. I have no pity for myself in this situation.”
Rogen and Franco previously worked together on “Pineapple Express,” “The Interview,” “Sausage Party” and “This Is the End”. Franco also cameoed in numerous Rogen films like “The Night Before” “Knocked Up” and “The Green Hornet”.