James Franco has addressed allegations of sexual misconduct made about him on social media, after he faced a backlash for sporting a ‘Time’s Up’ pin at this year’s Golden Globes.
On Sunday (7 January), James was named Best Actor for his portrayal of Tommy Wiseau in ‘The Disaster Artist’, which he also directed and co-produced.
However, his decision to support the ‘Time’s Up’ movement, which intends to promote gender equality and put a stop to sexual harassment against women in all industries, didn’t sit well with some social media users, including actress Ally Sheedy.
In a post that she later took down, Ally tweeted that James was an example of the reason “why I left the film/TV business”, after the ceremony.
Several other women then made similar comments, which James was asked about when he sat down for an interview with Stephen Colbert on ‘The Late Show’.
Speaking on Tuesday (9 January), James said: “There were some things on Twitter… I haven’t read them I’ve heard about them. OK, first of all, I have no idea what I did to Ally Sheedy, I directed her in a play off-Broadway, I had nothing but a great time with her. Total respect for her.
“I have no idea why she was upset, she took the tweet down, I don’t know. I can’t speak for her, I don’t know.”
He continued: “The others… look, in my life, I pride myself on taking responsibility for things that I’ve done. I have to do that to maintain my well-being. I do it whenever I know that there’s something wrong or needs to be changed, I make it a point to do it.
“The things that I heard that were on Twitter are not accurate. But I completely support people coming out and being able to have a voice, because they didn’t have a voice for so long.
“So I don’t want to… shut them down in any way. It’s, I think, a good thing and I support it.”
When asked by the presenter what a solution could be, given that he has denied the allegations made about him on Twitter, James reiterated: “If there’s restitution to be made, I will make it.
“So, if I’ve done something wrong I will fix it. I have to. I mean, I think that’s how that works. I don’t know what else… to do.
“As far as the bigger issues, how we do it, I really don’t have the answers and I think the point of this whole thing is that we listen, you know? There were incredible people talking that night [at the Golden Globes], they had a lot to say, and I’m here to listen and learn, and change my perspective where it’s off, and I’m completely willing and I want to.”
During Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony, a number of famous women spoke out about the problem of sexual harassment and abuse, following a wave of allegations that have been made against key figures in Hollywood in recent months.
Watch James’s full interview below: