Continued Professional Separation
In an interview published in mid-June 2026, actor and producer Seth Rogen addressed the status of his relationship with long-time collaborator James Franco. Rogen confirmed that he has not spoken to the actor in a significant amount of time and maintains that he has no plans to collaborate with him on future projects.
The two actors, who first gained prominence together on the late-1990s series Freaks and Geeks, went on to star in a string of successful comedies including Pineapple Express, This Is the End, and The Disaster Artist. However, their professional relationship fractured following a series of sexual misconduct allegations brought against Franco in 2018.
“I honestly think the nuance of it is too personal for me to get into right now,” Rogen stated in his recent interview with The New York Times. “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.”
Context of the Distance
The allegations against Franco, which surfaced in 2018, included claims that he used his position as a teacher and employer to intimidate students into exploitative sexual situations. A class-action lawsuit filed by two former students in 2019 was settled by Franco in 2021 for $2.23 million.
Previously, Franco had expressed a desire to reconnect, telling Variety in 2024 that he had reached out to Rogen, stating, “I haven’t talked to Seth. And not for lack of trying. I’ve told him how much he’s meant to me.” Rogen’s recent comments serve as a definitive closure to these inquiries, signaling that the industry-wide shift in accountability regarding misconduct continues to impact high-profile creative partnerships.