KTLA

Actor James Franco Accused by 5 Women of Inappropriate or Sexually Exploitative Behavior

It should have been a pure moment of triumph for James Franco. He collected one of Hollywood’s top prizes at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, validating an untraditional career in which he’s been a bankable leading man, Ivy League academic and eccentric auteur.

James Franco speaks onstage during IFP’s 27th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards on November 27, 2017 in New York City. (Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for IFP)

But as he stood on the ballroom stage, some were paying more attention to the Time’s Up pin on his lapel than the gold statue he picked up for his turn in “The Disaster Artist.”

It “was like a slap in my face,” said Sarah Tither-Kaplan, a former acting student at the film school Franco founded who went on to appear in several of his productions.

Tither-Kaplan is one of five women who, in interviews with The Times, accused Franco, 39, of behavior they found to be inappropriate or sexually exploitative. Four were his students, and another said he was her mentor.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.

34.052234-118.243685