James Franco's Troubling Behavior: Time to Take Notice?
In a new lawsuit, actresses Toni Gaal and Sarah Tither-Kaplan are suing James Franco for s**ual exploitation and fraud.
They claim that Franco's acting company, which is now defunct, was nothing more than a scam to give him and his male collaborators unrestricted access to young female performers.
According to the lawsuit filed on Thursday, Franco and his partners engaged in inappropriate and s**ually charged behavior towards female students.
They allegedly used their power as teachers and employers to sexualize their interactions with the students, offering them roles in their projects in exchange.
This created an environment of harassment and s**ual exploitation both inside and outside of the classroom.
Both Gaal and Tither-Kaplan were students at Franco's Studio 4 film and acting class, which has since closed down.
Tither-Kaplan's attorney described the school as a “casting class,” where Franco took the concept of a “casting couch” to another level.
While these allegations are disturbing, they are not surprising.
Rumors and accusations about Franco's inappropriate behavior have circulated for years, even as the #MeToo movement gained momentum.
Perhaps it's time we start paying attention to these claims.
In 2018, Franco appeared at the Golden Globes wearing a Time's Up pin and received recognition for his role in the comedy film The Disaster Artist.
However, shortly after this event, Tither-Kaplan and four other women came forward in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, accusing Franco of s**ually exploitative behavior.
They recounted uncomfortable experiences both in class and on set, including an incident where Franco became visibly angry when they refused to remove their tops for a shoot.
During the same Golden Globes ceremony, actress Ally Sheedy, who had worked with Franco in an off-Broadway play, hinted on Twitter that his behavior may have been unprofessional.
She wrote, “James Franco just won.
Please never ever ask me why I left the film/tv business.”
Franco's questionable conduct can be traced back to at least 2014 when he messaged a 17-year-old fan on Instagram, asking her if she had a boyfriend and if she was above 18.
Even after learning her age, Franco still tried to entice her to a hotel room.
When confronted with this incident, Franco attributed it to bad judgment, citing the pitfalls of social media.
Franco has yet to respond to the recent lawsuit.
However, in 2018, he acknowledged the original accusations and expressed his willingness to make amends if necessary.
He stated that he was open to listening, learning, and changing his perspective.
But Tither-Kaplan declares that she has not seen any genuine effort from Franco to make things right since she initially spoke out two years ago.
“I can't sleep at night knowing that my coming forward did not have the desired impact.
There has been no public action to show me that these people understand the harm they caused and won't repeat it.”
It is crucial that we take these allegations seriously and hold individuals accountable for their actions.
James Franco's behavior raises important questions about power dynamics and exploitation within the entertainment industry.
As more survivors come forward, it is our responsibility to listen, support them, and demand change.
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