James Franco is attempting to restart his career after settling a sexual misconduct lawsuit brought by aspiring young actresses. And in a wide-ranging interview with Variety to plug his new film Hey Joe, Franco talks about how the scandal appears to have cost him his friendship with Seth Rogen for good. Franco says he has not been in touch with Rogen, whom he first met on the late 1990s TV show Freaks and Geeks:
- "No. I haven't talked to Seth," says Franco. "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."
After the TV show, the pair worked together on a slew of films, including Pineapple Express, The Interview, and The Disaster Artist. But Rogen called at least a temporary pause to their relationship when the Franco allegations surfaced in 2018, and Franco suggested the rift might be permanent. (More James Franco stories.)