For years, Seth Rogen and James Franco formed one of Hollywood’s most recognizable creative partnerships. From Freaks and Geeks and Pineapple Express to The Interview, the duo built a moderately successful career together that spanned more than two decades.
Seth Rogen – The New York Times, YouTube
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However, nearly eight years after sexual misconduct allegations against Franco first surfaced, Rogen says the relationship remains over—and he has no plans to change that.
Rogen Says Nothing Has Changed
In a recent interview on The Daily, a podcast produced by The New York Times, host Lulu Garcia-Navarro suggested that society continues to struggle with questions about if—and how—to allow people who have “behaved badly” back into the culture. She noted that Seth Rogen and James Franco had once shared a close professional relationship.
“I honestly think the nuance of it is too personal for me to get into right now. It is a very personal thing,” Rogen answered. “There’s the public-facing side of it, which I’ve spoken about, and I have the same stance publicly that I’ve had, and I think the proof is in the pudding — I have not worked with him in years.”
Rogen suggested that saying more would involve people he would rather not discuss publicly.
“Nothing has changed since the last time I talked about all this, and I haven’t worked with him in a really long time and I have no plans to,” Rogen said.
James Franco – SiriusXM, YouTube
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Asked whether he still talks to James Franco, Seth Rogen replied, “I haven’t talked to him in a long time. No.”
Rogen Distanced Himself In 2021
The comments reaffirm a position Rogen first took in 2021, when he publicly distanced himself from Franco following allegations made by multiple women connected to the actor’s former acting school.
Variety notes that Franco was accused of inappropriate and exploitative behavior by former students in 2018. A lawsuit filed against the actor was later settled in 2021 for approximately $2.2 million. Franco has denied many of the more serious allegations while also acknowledging mistakes in his personal conduct.
Seth Rogen sits with Fozzie Bear in the Trailer for Muppets Now on Disney+ – YouTube, The Muppets
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At the time, Seth Rogen stated that he would not work with James Franco moving forward and acknowledged that his previous public support for his friend had changed. People reports that Rogen told The Sunday Times that he regretted earlier suggestions that he would work with Franco again, adding that “the truth is that I have not and I do not plan to right now.”
Franco Previously Addressed The Friendship
While Franco has slowly returned to acting in recent years, the actor acknowledged in a 2024 Variety interview that he was saddened by the collapse of the friendship. Franco said, “I love Seth, we had 20 great years together, but I guess it’s over. And not for lack of trying. I’ve told him how much he’s meant to me.”
Rogen’s latest comments leave little room for ambiguity, leaving his former friend firmly cancelled despite a broader shift in the industry. Nearly a decade after the controversy that derailed Franco’s career, he says they have not spoken in years and that he has no intention of working with him again. For fans who hoped to see the pair reunite on screen, that chapter of Hollywood history appears closed.
Do you think Seth Rogen and James Franco will make another movie together? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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