Seth Rogen has confirmed that he has “no plans” to work with his former close friend and collaborator, James Franco.
In a recent interview with The New York Times Magazine, Rogen said that he has not spoken to Franco in a long time and has no plans to collaborate with him professionally in the future. When he was asked about where their relationship stands as of now, Rogen told the outlet:
“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 and Franco shared a close friendship for 25 years. In addition to their cordial ties, they frequently collaborated on projects for like Pineapple Express in 2008 This Is the End in 2013 and The Interview in 2014. Their friendship reportedly ended following sexual misconduct allegations against Franco in 2018.
What happened between Seth Rogen and James Franco? Feud explained
The deep friendship between Seth Rogen and James Franco faded with time, especially due to the 2018 allegations against the Spider-Man actor.
The two actors first met as newcomers on the set of NBC‘s cult classic television series Freaks and Geeks in 1999. Over the subsequent two decades, they co-starred in several projects, which further strengthened their personal and professional bond until 2018.
In 2018, five women from James Franco’s former acting school, Playhouse West Studio 4, reportedly accused him of sexually inappropriate behavior. They claimed that he intimidated them into sexual situations, removed protective coverings during filming of explicit scenes without consent and leveraged his power as a teacher and director.
According to a People magazine report, in 2019, two of Franco’s former students, Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal, proceeded to file a lawsuit claiming they were sexually exploited. Franco denied the most serious allegations, describing them as “not accurate.” The case reached a settlement two years later in 2021 for approximately $2.23 million.
Rogen recently told The New York Times that he has no plans to work with James Franco in future. He spoke along the same lines in a 2021 interview with The Sunday Times. Reflecting on the 2018 allegations against Franco, he said that it changed many things in their relationship and their dynamic. He told 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.”
Later, James Franco admitted to Variety in a 2024 interview that despite his admiration for his former friend, there is no hope of reconciliation in the future. He said:
“I haven’t talked to Seth. 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.”
Following the 2018 sexual misconduct, James Franco’s involvement in Hollywood decreased with time. He continued working on independent projects.
For instance- he appeared in Zeroville in 2019, a film which he directed. He voiced a character in the animated film Arctic Dogs and completed the final season of the HBO series The Deuce. In 2024, he starred in the Italian drama Hey Joe which premiered at the Rome Film Festival.
In May 2026, interviews at Cannes, Franco described himself as living a “positive life” and confirmed his return with the John Rambo prequel titled John Rambo. Filming has wrapped, and the film is expected to release later in 2026 or by spring-summer 2027.
Edited by Aastha Dass