James Franco accused by five women of “inappropriate and sexually exploitative behavior”

Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times spoke to five women about Franco’s alleged sexual misconduct, including those who raised the allegations on Twitter following the actor’s Golden Globe win for The Disaster Artist on Sunday night. Four of the five women were Franco’s students, with the other saying he served as her mentor. Some said they felt that Franco abused his power dynamic with them, believing that he could offer career advancement by acquiescing to his wishes. Sarah Tither-Kaplan, one of the women who tweeted about Franco, said that she and other actresses appeared fully nude in an orgy scene. But she was shocked when he removed protective plastic guards covering her and other actresses’ vaginas while simulating oral sex on them. “I feel there was an abuse of power, and there was a culture of exploiting non-celebrity women, and a culture of women being replaceable,” said Tither-Kaplan. Franco’s attorney, Michael Plonsker, disputed all of the women’s allegations and directed The Times to Franco’s comments on Tuesday's The Late Show. Plonsker added that “the allegations about the protective guards are not accurate.”

ALSO: Seth Meyers gave Franco another late-night grilling on Wednesday night: “Does this Time’s Up movement and this moment we’re having right now, does it make you look back at all and question any of your behavior in the past based on this new perspective we’re getting on how women have perceived things for so long?” asked Meyers. Franco responded: “I have my own side of this story, but I believe in, you know, these people that have been underrepresented getting their stories out enough that I will, you know, hold back things that I could say just because I believe in it that much. And if I have to take a knock because I’m not going to, you know, try and, you know, actively refute things, then I will, because I believe in it that much.”