Lawyers representing two women who made sexual abuse allegations against actor James Franco have condemned “completely insensitive” remarks he made in an interview defending himself against the claims.
In a statement released to US media outlets on Thursday, Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal accused Franco of being “blind about power dynamics” and having run a “sham of an acting school,” decrying his recent comments about his behavior as disregarding the pain and suffering experienced by his alleged victims.
“It is unbelievable that even after agreeing to a settlement he continues to downplay the survivors’ experiences and ignore their pain,” they said.
Franco made his first lengthy public response to the misconduct accusations earlier this week, nearly four years after the allegations were made.
While accepting that he “did sleep with students” and his behavior was “wrong,” Franco also defended himself by claiming he was suffering from a sex addiction at the time. Calling sex a “powerful drug” that he “got hooked on” after becoming sober, the actor claimed he believed the sex was “consensual,” despite not having been “clearheaded” at the time.
The podcast interview saw Franco also refute the claim that he used his acting school to “create a pipeline of young women who were subjected to his personal and professional sexual exploitation.” The 43-year-old actor called that allegation a “misconception” and argued he started the school to support those who were unable to “afford” programs at other institutions.
Following the actor’s remarks, the statement on behalf of two of Franco’s accusers declared that “nobody should confuse this interview with Franco taking accountability for his actions or expressing remorse over what happened,” adding that “it is a transparent ducking of the real issues.”
Tither-Kaplan and Gaal filed a civil suit against Franco over the allegations in October 2019. Earlier this year, the actor agreed to pay $2.2 million in a settlement to end the matter, according to documents filed in a Los Angeles court.
Under the settlement, the parties agreed that “while Defendants continue to deny the allegations in the Complaint, they acknowledge that Plaintiffs have raised important issues; and all parties strongly believe that now is a critical time to focus on addressing the mistreatment of women in Hollywood.”
