Seth Rogen says he hasn’t spoken to James Franco in years and has ‘no plans’ to work with him again

Actor, writer, and producer Seth Rogen has offered a candid update on his relationship with James Franco, saying that he has not spoke to the actor in yeas and does not plan to collaborate with him again.

Seth Rogen sheds light on his relationship with James Franco

The comments came during an interview with The New York Times, where Rogen was asked about the status of his relationship with Franco following sexual misconduct allegations that emerged against the actor several years ago.

Responding to the question, Rogen suggested that the issue remains deeply personal and complex.

"I honestly think the nuance of it is too personal for me to get into right now. It is a very personal thing. There’s the public-facing side of it, which I’ve spoken about, and I have the same stance publicly that I’ve had, and I think the proof is in the pudding — I have not worked with him in years. But the personal side of it is just so nuanced, and it involves people that I don’t know if I should be dragging into this. I don’t know what I would benefit from getting deeply into it. 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.”

When interviewer Lulu Garcia-Navarro followed up by asking whether he still speaks to Franco, Rogen gave a brief but definitive answer.

“I haven’t talked to him in a long time, no.”

The remarks provide one of the clearest indications yet that the once-close professional partnership between the two actors remains firmly in the past.

More about their relationship

Rogen and Franco were among Hollywood's most recognisable comedy duos throughout the 2000s and the early 2010s. Their working relationship began on the cult television series Freaks and Geeks, created by Paul Feig, which aired for a single season on NBC in 1999 before developing a devoted following in subsequent years.

At the time, Rogen was 16 and Franco was 21. The pair would go on to build successful careers while frequently collaborating on projects that became defining entries in modern American comedy.

Among their most notable films together were Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, This Is The End, and The Interview. Their on-screen chemistry helped establish both actors as major comedy stars and made them regular collaborators for over a decade.

That partnership came to an end after allegations against Franco emerged in 2018.

Five women, including four former acting students, accused him of sexually exploitative behaviour. In 2019, two of the women filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that Franco “engaged in widespread inappropriate and sexually charged behaviour towards female students by sexualising their power as a teacher and an employer by dangling the opportunity for roles in their projects.”

The case was settled in 2021 for $2.23 million.