Yahoo Lifestyle After James Franco Said He Still Loves Him, Seth Rogen Gave A Brutally Blunt Response To A Question About The End Of Their Friendship
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Seth Rogen and James Franco were a beloved comedy duo in Hollywood.
Seth and James met on the set of Freaks and Geeks in 1999 when they were aged 17 and 21, and in the decades that followed, they collaborated on popular projects such as Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, This Is the End, and The Interview, just to name a few.
At the start of 2018, the pair were riding the high of their Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winning film, The Disaster Artist. But, just a few months later, James’s career came crumbling down when he was accused of sexual misconduct by five women.
According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, four of the five accusers were students of James’s acting and film school, Studio 4. The following year, two of the women filed a sexual misconduct lawsuit against the actor, which he settled for $2.2 million in 2021.
So, in May 2021, Seth spoke out about the accusations and said that he had no plans to work with James on future projects, telling the Sunday Times: “What I can say is that I despise abuse and harassment and I would never cover or conceal the actions of someone doing it.” When asked if the allegations against James had damaged their friendship, Seth responded: “I’d say yes.”
Variety / Variety via Getty Images, Sebastien Courdji / Getty Images
At this point, James had said very little about the sexual misconduct accusations in general. However, he soon broke his silence to respond to Seth’s comments about their friendship, describing them as “hurtful.”
“I just wanna say I absolutely love Seth Rogen...I worked with him for 20 years. We didn't have one fight for 20 years. Not one fight. He was my absolute closest work friend, collaborator. We just gelled,” James said in a SiriusXM interview in December 2021. “What he said is true, you know, we aren't working together right now, and we don't have any plans to work together.”
Fast-forward to October 2024, and James talked about the demise of their bond for a second time, telling Variety: “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.”
And now, the back-and-forth has returned to Seth — who, it seems, doesn’t have a whole lot to say on the subject.
In a new cover interview with Esquire, the actor was asked how he felt about all James had said publicly about the end of their friendship. The reporter noted that Seth was “clearly not happy” that the topic came up, and simply responded: “Honestly, I absorb so little media that it really wasn’t on my radar.”
Giving readers a feel of the awkward vibe, the Esquire reporter added: “And that is all he wants to say about that.”
So… I think that pretty much says it all. You can read Seth’s full Esquire interview here.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.
"I Guess It’s Over": James Franco Admitted To Losing Seth Rogen As A Friend After His Sexual Misconduct AllegationsChelsea Stewart · Oct. 27, 2024
Seth Rogen Talked About How He Has "No Plans" To Work With James Franco And Expressed Regret For An "SNL" JokeLarry Fitzmaurice · May 10, 2021
Seth Rogen Called Out People Who Have Kids Purely For This One “Selfish” Reason, And He’s Not WrongEllen Durney · Feb. 11, 2025
