James Franco is speaking out about the #MeToo allegations levied against him back in January 2018, and he’s not exactly holding back in revealing how he feels.
As you’ll likely recall, the 41-year-old actor was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in an article published by the Los Angeles Times. The accusations centered on Franco’s behavior while running Playhouse West Studio 4, his acting school, before it closed in 2017.
Related: James Franco Makes His Way Into The Johnny Depp-Amber Heard Controversy
In a follow-up to the January 2018 article, then, two women — Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal — ended up filing a lawsuit against Franco and his business partners this past October, claiming they were sexually exploited by him at the now-defunct school. That lawsuit has worked its way through the courts over the past few months, until now, where the Spring Breakers star filed his first chief objection to the allegations against him.
According to People, who first uncovered the court docs in question, Franco has entered a demurrer (an official written objection) against Tither-Kaplan and Gaal’s lawsuit. In the writing, the Pineapple Express star’s legal team calls the women’s allegations “salacious” and their behavior “attention-hungry,” while adding:
“While the salacious allegations in the complaint have made great tabloid fodder, they are also false and inflammatory, legally baseless and brought improperly in the form of a class action largely to gain as much publicity as possible. This lawsuit is a travesty of justice and the culmination of a meritless campaign that has unfairly tarnished a decent man’s hard-earned reputation.”
The demurrer continued from there, specifically calling out Tither-Kaplan and portraying her as a student who was particularly positive about her time at the acting school, only to suddenly turn against Franco later.
The written complaint continued:
“Ms. Tither-Kaplan had always expressed gratitude for having been given the opportunity to work in Emmy-nominated productions with Franco, one of her teachers. Tither-Kaplan was so effusive in her praise of Franco that she had posted unsolicited tweets and texts extolling Franco’s virtues, how much she admired him and how much she got out of her time at Studio 4 … She knowingly engaged in nudity scenes [with Franco], and the casting director and others involved with those films have confirmed that all actresses, including Tither-Kaplan, were aware of the nudity scenes ahead of time, that they were constantly checking to make sure the actresses felt comfortable, that they signed nudity waivers, and that no one — including Tither-Kaplan — ever complained.”
Interesting…
Related: Busy Philipps Opens Up About James Franco’s Alleged Past Behavior, Too…
Ultimately, though, while the demurrer stands as an on-the-record objection it’ll do little to stop the lawsuit moving forward from here. The Why Him? star is facing accusations of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and fraud in the suit itself, alongside his business partners.
We’ll keep you updated on the status of this lawsuit as it undoubtedly works its way through court.
Reactions, Perezcious readers? Share your take with us in the comments (below)…
[Image via Brian To/WENN]
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