Seth Rogen isn’t one to dwell on the past—especially when it comes to his old friend James Franco. While the world buzzed about the end of their longtime friendship, Rogen admitted he wasn’t paying much attention.
In an interview with Esquire, which the magazine published on Tuesday, the 42-year-old actor shared that he had missed Franco’s public comments regarding their fallout. “Honestly, I absorb so little media that it really wasn’t on my radar,” Rogen stated when asked how he felt about their personal split becoming such a public spectacle. And that, according to Esquire, was all he wanted to say on the matter.
Their friendship wasn’t just any Hollywood bromance—it was built on years of collaboration and success. The duo first connected on the cult classic TV series Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000), before becoming one of the most iconic comedic pairs of their generation. With box office hits like Pineapple Express, This Is The End, and The Interview, their dynamic chemistry was undeniable.
However, things took a turn in 2018 when multiple women accused Franco of inappropriate sexual behavior. Initially, Rogen stood by his longtime friend, but as more accusations surfaced, he took a step back. Eventually, in a 2021 interview with The Times, Rogen made it clear that he had no plans to collaborate with Franco again. “I also 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,” Rogen stated.
Franco, on the other hand, didn’t see the end of their friendship as something he wanted. Speaking to Variety in 2024, he expressed his disappointment, saying, “No. I haven’t talked to Seth. I love Seth, we had 20 great years together, but I guess it’s over. I’ve told him how much he’s meant to me.”
But Rogen’s decision wasn’t just about their professional ties—it was deeply personal. The allegations against Franco, which he initially denied on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2018, shifted the nature of their relationship. Franco later admitted in a 2021 episode of The Jess Cagle Podcast that he had taken time to reflect and reevaluate his past actions. “There were people that were upset with me, and I needed to listen,” Franco said. “The natural instinct is to just make it stop—to apologize and move on—but that doesn’t allow you to do the work to look at what was underneath.”
By June 2021, Franco agreed to pay over $2.2 million to settle a class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit accused him of coercing students at his now-defunct acting school to perform explicit sex scenes on camera.
Despite the years of friendship and success, it seems that the bond between Rogen and Franco has run its course. While Franco has publicly expressed his regret, Rogen appears to have made peace with his decision, opting to move forward without looking back. For fans who once loved their comedic partnership, it’s an unfortunate ending—but in Hollywood, as in life, not all friendships survive the test of time.
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