Amid sexual harassment allegations against James Franco, the actor says he won’t “actively refute” the accusations because he believes in the importance of women being able to share their experiences as part of the #TimesUp movement.
During his appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” the host asked “The Disaster Artist” actor-director whether the movement has made him look back and question his past behavior. After Franco won Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy at the 75th Golden Globes Sunday, several women accused him of sexual misconduct on Twitter.
“There are stories that need to get out,” Franco said. “There are people that need to be heard. I have my own side of this story, but I believe in these people that have been underrepresented getting their stories out enough that I will hold back things that I could say just because I believe in it that much. And if I have to take a knock because I’m not gonna try and actively refute things, then I will, because I believe in it that much.”
One of the women accusing the actor-director of sexual misconduct was Ally Sheedy, whom Franco directed in an off-Broadway production in 2014. She has since deleted the tweet.
“I had a great relationship with her,” Franco said, following his interview with Stephen Colbert in which he said he had no idea what he did to the actress. “She took the tweet down… I don’t know.”
Meyers, who hosted the Golden Globes on Sunday, responded, “Not curious enough to reach out to her to try to understand why she would have done that?”
“I don’t know,” Franco said. “I … It was so shocking. I don’t know. I just … I guess I’m just letting it be.”
On Thursday, five women stepped forward to accuse Franco of sexually exploitative or inappropriate behavior, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Reps for Franco did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment. But his attorney, Michael Plonsker, disputed the women’s accusations to the Times.
In the wake of the Golden Globes, where Franco appeared with a “Times Up” pin in support of Hollywood’s sexual misconduct accusers, many were also quick to recall his well-publicized attempt to pick up a 17-year-old girl via Instagram in 2014 and invite her to a hotel room.
“This is a conversation that obviously needs to be had,” he explained to Meyers of his decision to wear the Time’s Up pin at the Globes. “There are people, women and others, who have not been a part of this conversation and I truly believe that, why I was wearing the pin, they need to be part of this conversation. So I support that.”
Watch the video above.