From Amber Heard scandal to the #MeToo Movement, James Franco has a lot to answer for in his behavior toward women
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp's divorce took a sour turn in 2016 with Heard accusing her then-husband of abusing her throughout their marriage. Since then, the two former-spouses have been engaged in a long legal battle which is yet to reach a settlement.
In July 2019, CCTV footage from the elevator of Heard and Depp's shared apartment dated May 22, 2016, surfaced on social media. The video, which became fuel to the (messy) fire of their legal battle, showed Heard getting into the elevator with a figure following her inside and subsequently huddling into him. The figure was 'Freaks and Geeks' actor James Franco, who Heard is alleged to have had an affair with, while still being married to Depp.
The two seem to turn away from the camera so their faces aren't visible. Franco also had a snapback on, and rested his head on Heard's shoulder, while animatedly talking to her. The two exited the elevator when it came to a stop on a floor that seems to be where Heard and Depp's penthouse was located. Yet, the extent of Franco's possible involvement in Heard and Depp's legal battle remains unclear.
Depp's lawyers in a statement said that they were interested to know Franco and Elon Musk's version of events. Heard is said to have been in an alleged affair with Musk around the time that she claims to have been abused by her ex-husband.
The lawyers said they had acquired evidence that Heard was seen by both Franco and Musk between May 21, 2016, the day of the abuse, and May 27, 2016, the day she filed for a restraining order against Depp. Hence, they'd be able to testify the visible bruises on Heard's face that Depp has alleged were "painted on bruises".
Franco has since been subpoenaed to sit for a deposition, courtesy Depp's legal team, as he is a "fact witness".
But even so, he isn't exactly in the clear. Besides being associated with Heard in her legal battle, Franco has some transgressions of his own that he has been called out for.
In January 2018, during what was essentially the commencement of Franco's #MeToo Movement, he accepted the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical for his role in 'The Disaster Artist'. He had appeared with a '#TimesUp' pin on the lapel of his suit.
Slamming him on twitter, 'The Breakfast Club' alum Ally Sheedy said, "James Franco just won. Please never ever ask me why I left the film/tv business". In a consequent tweet, she said, "Why is a man hosting? Why is James Franco allowed in? Said too much. Nite love ya @goldenglobes."
Sheedy never elaborated further and the tweets have been since deleted.
The award show was also when Sarah Tither-Kaplan made a public accusation against the star. Kaplan was Franco's former student from his Studio 4 school. "I love and care about James. Always will. But loving someone does not mean enabling them. Sometimes it means holding them accountable so they can do better," she tweeted.
Furthermore, actress Violet Paley alleged Franco of sexual misconduct against her and her 17-year-old friend. In a tweet indirectly addressing Franco, she said, "Cute #TIMESUP pin James Franco. Remember the time you pushed my head down in a car towards your exposed penis & that other time you told my friend to come to your hotel when she was 17? After you had already been caught doing that to a different 17-year-old?"
Franco has earlier been called out for texting a 17-year-old Scottish girl who was visiting New York in 2014. She posted the screenshots of their conversation, where the then 35-year-old Franco asked her stuff like "You're single?", "What's the hotel?", and "Should I rent a room?"
Paley further said, "Another reason it’s been hard to come forward about this. we did have a consensual relationship as well. unfortunately & fortunately, there are others who went through this same thing as me with him, and worse. I’m glad I am strong enough to speak up for all of us despite trolls."
Franco has been accused of sexually exploiting five women in total, four of which were his students (including Tither Kaplan and Paley) and one considered him her mentor. In 2018, the five women in an exposé in the Los Angeles Times revealed the details of Franco's inappropriate behavior towards them.
During a nude orgy scene that Kaplan filmed with Franco in 2015, the former claimed that he made the women remove the protective plastic guards covering their vaginas and simulating oral sex on them. Two other ex-students, Natalie Chmiel and Hilary Dusome, said he put females in uncomfortable positions beyond it being a normal acting class.
Franco has since found himself being criticized and rebuked by several people. Those that once glorified him seem to have turned their backs on him, as well. Franco's been the subject of various debates for quite a while on social media, especially since his involvement with Amber Heard became known.
"Hey look. Amber Heard’s special “friend” who randomly takes rides in elevators at 11pm (might have been another kind of ride in store for him that night... unconfirmed...) is in court too.... #JamesFranco", a twitter user said.
Calling out the two for hypocritical behavior, a user tweeted, "No wonder James Franco and Amber Heard hooked up together. Dude has been facing strong accusations and still showed up with that TimesUp pin on the suit. Amber Heard literally admits to being an abuser but speaks at the Women's March and attends the Oscar party."
"James Franco is set to testify in Depp's defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard however, he wants his deposition to be sealed and his testimony to not be made public. I smell a rat...and it smells like a has-been film star who is accused of pedophilia #JusticeForJohnnyDeep," another said, slamming him in a tweet.