Seth Rogen Declares No Future Work With James Franco Amid Ongoing Fallout

In a June 2026 interview with *The New York Times*, actor-writer-producer Seth Rogen said he has “no plans” to work with James Franco again and that he “hasn’t talked to him in a long time.” Rogen described the situation as “too personal” to discuss in detail, emphasizing that the public record already shows he “has not worked with him in years.”

WION

• 1999 – Rogen (16) and Franco (21) meet on the NBC series *Freaks and Geeks*.

Complex

• 2000s-2010s – Co-star in *Knocked Up*, *Pineapple Express*, *The Disaster Artist*, *This Is the End*, *The Interview*.

Complex

• 2018 – Five women, including four former acting students, accuse Franco of sexually exploitative behavior.

Variety Magazine

• 2021 – Franco settles a class-action lawsuit for $2.23 million; Rogen publicly reiterates he will not work with him and expresses that he “despises abuse and harassment.”

Express Tribune

• 2024 – Franco tells *Variety* the friendship is “over.”

WION

• 2026 – Rogen repeats his stance in a *New York Times* interview.

Variety Magazine

The 2018 accusations involved five women, four of whom were Franco’s acting-school students. Two of the women filed a class-action suit alleging Franco “engaged in widespread inappropriate and sexually charged behavior” by leveraging his teaching role. Court records show a settlement of $2.23 million; one source lists $2.235 million, creating a minor discrepancy.

Complex

Rogen’s statements consistently stress personal nuance and a moral stance against abuse. He has said he “despises abuse and harassment” and would never “cover or conceal the actions of someone doing it.” He also noted that “the proof is in the pudding” – his lack of recent collaborations with Franco – and that “nothing has changed since the last time I talked about all this.”

People Magazine

Franco confirmed he has not spoken with Rogen for an extended period, stating, “I love Seth, we had 20 great years together, but I guess it’s over.” He added that he has tried to reach out but “it’s over” and reiterated his affection for Rogen despite the professional split.

Variety Magazine

• Settlement amount varies between $2.23 million and $2.235 million across sources.

Hollywood Reporter

• Rogen’s 2018 comment that he might work with Franco again contrasts with his later regret, but he has since clarified his position unchanged.

Express Tribune

• “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.” — Seth Rogen, *New York Times* interview

Hollywood Reporter

• “I haven’t talked to him in a long time, no.” — Seth Rogen, *New York Times* interview

Variety Magazine

• “What I can say is that I despise abuse and harassment and I would never cover or conceal the actions of someone doing it, or knowingly put someone in a situation where they were around someone like that,” — Seth Rogen, *The Sunday Times*, May 2021

People Magazine

• “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.” — James Franco, *Variety* interview, 2024

Variety Magazine

• “I … look back to that interview in 2018 where I comment that I would keep working with James, and the truth is that I have not and I do not plan to right now,” — Seth Rogen, *Variety* interview, 2026

Hollywood Reporter

Rogen is focusing on his new series *The Studio* and other projects, with no indication of future collaboration with Franco. Franco continues to pursue a low-profile comeback, including activity on TikTok, but his professional relationship with Rogen remains definitively severed.

Express Tribune