Where does one start with James Franco? Well, it would seem that after all the allegations
of misconduct and controversies he found himself in, he has rather decided to become a ghost
of the limelight. Only allowing the world to see glimpses into his personal life if
they’re lucky. And despite all the rollercoasters he’s been on, he actually might have found
someone who stood by his side no matter how far he might have fallen. So what exactly
happened that made James hide from the spotlight and the rest of the world? Is love strong
enough to surpass his crumbled reputation and will he ever be able to walk the streets
of Hollywood again? Stay tuned and don’t forget to subscribe to the Rumor Juice Channel.
Let’s take it a few steps back and uncover exactly what went down in this actor’s life
that led to his tarnished reputation.
Now, it’s hard to name an acting career that’s unfolded quite as mystifyingly as
James Franco’s. He made a name for himself early in his life, on the cult classic sitcom
Freaks and Geeks. He was quickly tipped as the next big thing and even thought by some
to become Martin Scorsese’s late-career muse. But unfortunately, that’s far from
what happened.
James is a rather eccentric guy at heart, who was forced by directors and producers
to be the really handsome lead for a long time, presenting himself as something he clearly
isn’t comfortable with. Being forced into this bubble didn’t suit the actor at all
and he decided to rather take the path of an independent film actor, where he can be
his true authentic self.
However, it would seem that Franco might have taken his artistic ways slightly too far,
going well against the norms of his industry and even sometimes society. James Franco has
long been widely praised as an unconventional artist who is perhaps seriously ahead of his
time. And although he might have thought the way he goes about things is purely from an
artistic standpoint, others found him inappropriate and often disturbing.
It all hit a breaking point when James starred in the role of a lifetime in the film The
Disaster Artist, for which he won a Golden Globe. This should have been a pure moment
of triumph for Franco, but Sarah Tither-Kaplan, and a few other women, felt as though it was
a total slap in the face, and made sure everyone knew why.
Tither-Kaplan is one of five women who came out and accused Franco of behavior that they
found to be inappropriate
and sexually exploitative. After the actor won the Golden Globe Kaplan tweeted,
“Hey, James Franco, nice Times Up pin at the Golden Globes. Remember a few weeks ago
when you told me the full nudity you had me do in two of your movies for $100 a day wasn’t
exploitative because I signed a contract to do it. Times up on that.”
She followed up by suggesting that James gives speaking roles to the women involving them
in full nudity and sex scenes in his film and art projects. She explained how Franco
would call her a diva, accusing her and other females who tried to speak up of being out
of line.
While the 42-year-old didn’t publicly comment on Tither-Kaplan’s allegations specifically,
he did respond to the wave of accusations that hit during the award show, a wave that
was rather large and rather aggressive.
When asked about the allegations James insisted that he supports the Time’s Up movement,
calling it (quote) “powerful”. He went on to say he prides himself on taking responsibility
for any mistakes he’s made in the past but also claimed that not everything that was
said about him was true.
Franco seemed to be apologetic for what the women experienced in his presence but assured
everyone that it wasn’t all accurate. He promised them that he wants to be a part of
their conversation and is willing to own up to where he went wrong and to learn from his
mistakes.
“The things that I heard that were on Twitter are not accurate, but I completely support
people coming out and being able to have a voice because they didn’t have a voice for
so long. So, I don’t want to shut them down in any way. It’s, I think, a good thing
and I support it,”
Then came October 2019 when Franco found himself in more hot water after two former students
of the star’s acting school, filed a class-action lawsuit with claims of sexual discrimination,
harassment, fraud, and false advertising.
The suit alleged that students were misled by his $300-per-month drama school. While
it appeared to be a legitimate learning opportunity, the women claimed that they were, (quote)
“intimidated and sexually objectified.”
According to Franco's demurrer, the claims from the women had no legal standing. Even
so, unfortunately, after these allegations and the Golden Globes, the actor’s reputation
took a hard knock. Although he has denied the claims, he has said
“In my life, I pride myself on taking responsibility for the things that I have done.”
It would seem as though the actor is now taking time to rectify and pinpoint where he went
wrong as he reportedly started to call his ex-girlfriends to ask (quote) "about his behavior".
Now James Franco certainly has earned himself a reputation as being one the more eccentric
talents in Hollywood, but he also has a rather interesting dating timeline. The actor has
been through many failed relationships and even had relations with high-profile female
celebrities such as Marla Sokoloff, Emilia Clarke, Ashley Hartman, and Agyness Deyn.
This guy clearly likes the idea of love but has admitted time and time again that he isn’t
very good at putting it into practice. One of the most interesting pieces of his long-list
of rumored relationships is with singer Lana Del Rey.
Back in 2015, the two posted selfies of each other on their Instagram pages and Franco
even helped promote her upcoming album. The actor even published a poem in V-Magazine
that was entirely about the singer. To say that he has admiration for the star is a total
understatement.
The 42-year-old, however, disappointed many, claiming that they are only friends, despite
saying that he would (quote) “have sex with her music.” That’s a rather insinuative
statement, don’t you think? Since Lana IS her music? On the other hand, Lana has gushed
over the actor, many times, saying how she looks up to him and that (quote) “Sometimes
friends fall in love.”
When it comes to relationships, James has opened up about how self-centered he can be
when it comes to love. He has previously spoken about how he once urgently had to take his
then-girlfriend to hospital, “I had so much work to get done for the
next day, I didn’t take her to the hospital. I had my assistant take her. That moment haunted
me so much. What kind of selfish, self-centered boyfriend are you?”
Perhaps James has denied many of his previous relationships out of embarrassment for how
he treated them? James certainly has denied more relationships than he has confirmed.
Were his eccentric ways just too much to surpass love?
Regardless, it seems as though there is one lady that has made Franco face his demons
in his attempt to become a better man for himself and society. And despite all the controversy,
the actor has found what truly seems like love with his girlfriend, Izabel Pakzad, who
has decided to stand by his side throughout it all.
The two have been dating since early November 2017, before all the scandals, making their
red carpet debut as a couple at the opening night of the Broadway show Straight White
Men.
Pakzad was also Franco’s date to the 2018 SAG Awards, where they were spotted smiling
at each other inside the ceremony. However, something was rather odd about the pair….
The actor didn’t walk the red carpet with her at the event, and Pakzad cropped James
out from the photo she posted on Instagram. A post that she has since removed. This is
pretty bizarre and some can’t help but wonder if it had anything to do with James deleting
his Instagram. Was he already trying to back away from the limelight before all the allegations?
We’re not so sure, but the timing sure is questionable.
So who is this Izabel Pakzad? Well, she is a bit of a mystery; there isn't much known
about the girl other than that she is a 28-year-old graduate student and her link to Franco. Judging
by her Instagram account, she’s also a seasoned world traveler, though we have no way of knowing
whether she’s been taking these trips with Franco since he’s never appeared on her
social media. This is still odd, given they have been together since 2017. Since we all
know that they’re dating, it may make you think what all the secrecy is about. Are they
hiding something or is James truly terrified of the media ripping him even further apart
and possibly ruining something he has tried to make work for so long?
Many think Franco would have gone more public with his relationship if the allegations didn’t
surface. You can’t help but wonder if this affects their relationship as we’re sure
it’s not exactly the love story either of them expected.
With them keeping their romance so close to the chest, it can be hard to know if they’re
still going strong — but it seems they are. James has admitted that he is working harder
on being there for her more than he was with his previous girlfriends. It’s been almost
three years and Isabel has still stuck by his side, so maybe true love really does conquer
all? There are even rumors that the couple might be heading for an engagement. But looks
like Franco is laying low and not making any big moves while he waits for conversations
around him
to subside.