James Franco Accused of Sexual Harassment by Five Women

The women say Franco created a toxic environment on set.

James Franco
James Franco. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

In a new Los Angeles Times story, five women accuse James Franco of sexually coercive or exploitative behavior. Many of the instances of harassment took place on movie sets with women he’d been teaching in acting school. According to reports, Franco created an environment on set that set the expectation that women would consent to his requests for nudity, and he became upset whenever women said no. In another case, a woman who said Franco coerced her into performing oral sex had previously believed Franco could offer her career guidance. In all cases, Franco held a position of power over women he was working with and took advantage of that fact. On Tuesday, Franco denied pre-existing rumors about his misconduct.

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