Seth Rogen Finally Breaks Silence on Future with James Franco

Seth Rogen recently addressed his current relationship with James Franco in an interview with The New York Times, saying the two have not spoken in a long time and that he has no plans to work with him again. The comments come years after the two actors were frequent collaborators in major Hollywood comedies.

When asked directly about Franco, Rogen avoided going into detail but made it clear where things stand publicly.

He said, “I honestly think the nuance of it is too personal for me to get into right now. It is a very personal thing. There’s the public-facing side of it, which I’ve spoken about, and 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. But the personal side of it is just so nuanced, and it involves people that I don’t know if I should be dragging into this. I don’t know what I would benefit from getting deeply into it. Nothing has changed since the last time I talked about all this, and I haven’t worked with him in a really long time and I have no plans to.”

He also confirmed that there is no ongoing communication between them, saying simply, “I haven’t talked to him in a long time, no.” The statement reinforces what Rogen has said in previous interviews, where he has repeatedly distanced himself from the idea of future collaborations with Franco.

Rogen and Franco once had one of the most recognizable comedy partnerships in Hollywood. Their shared history goes back to the late 1990s when they worked on the cult TV series “Freaks and Geeks,” which introduced both actors early in their careers. Over the following two decades, they appeared together in several successful films, including “Knocked Up,” “Pineapple Express,” “This Is the End,” and “The Interview.” Their on-screen chemistry and off-screen friendship made them a familiar duo in modern comedy.

That long-running partnership changed after serious allegations were made against Franco. Beginning in 2018, multiple women accused him of sexually inappropriate behavior, including several former students. Some of those claims led to legal action, and in 2021 Franco settled a class action lawsuit for $2.23 million, according to court-related reporting.

Rogen has been asked about Franco multiple times since then. In a 2021 interview with The Sunday Times, he said he regretted earlier comments suggesting he might work with Franco again, and clarified that the idea was no longer on the table.

Franco himself spoke about the situation in a 2024 interview with Variety, where he acknowledged the distance between them. He said, “No. I haven’t talked to Seth. I love Seth, we had 20 great years together, but I guess it’s over. And not for lack of trying. I’ve told him how much he’s meant to me.”

Rogen’s latest comments confirm that the separation between the two actors has remained unchanged.

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