UPDATE: A tentative settlement over a 2019 sexual misconduct lawsuit that was filed against James Franco has been reached, several outlets, including the Associated Press, reported on Saturday, Feb. 21, quoting attorneys for the plaintiffs. The terms of the agreement were not made public.
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James Franco is facing new accusations of sexual misconduct for the second time in two years.
In January 2018, five women, four of whom were his students, came forward to discuss their experience studying under the instruction of the actor. In the exposé published by The Los Angeles Times, the aspiring filmmakers alleged that Franco would walk off film sets in frustration anytime an actress refused to take their tops off for a scene. One student in particular described, “I felt like I was selected for something based on my hard work and my merit, and when I realized it was because I have nice [breasts], it was pretty clear that was not the case.”
Ultimately, none of the women pursued legal action against the star, instead they demanded real change and an apology.
However, now that nearly two years have gone by, one of the original four complainants, Sarah Tither-Kaplan, and another student, Toni Gaal, are filing a lawsuit in which Franco is accused of engaging in “widespread inappropriate and sexually charged behavior towards female students by sexualizing their power as a teacher and an employer by dangling the opportunity for roles in their projects.”