ONCE-megastar actor James Franco was spotted disheveled but in good spirits on a late-night Paris outing with his girlfriend, Izabel Pakzad.
James, 46, has spent much of the past decade out of the spotlight due to sexual misconduct allegations and a subsequent lawsuit.
The movie star and his longtime girlfriend, 31, stepped out on the streets of Paris at 2:30 am on Sunday, June 2.
In photos obtained by The U.S. Sun, James could be seen standing with Izabel, waiting for their undisclosed two friends to arrive.
The controversial actor donned a baggy graphic sweater, loose pants, and a Cannes Film Festival hat.
He looked noticeably more rotund and sported a scraggly beard.
The couple looked rather somber while they waited for their pals—James was leaning against a wall—but they were happier once they arrived.
The group came together on the sidewalk, dimly lit by street lamps, and chatted and laughed before departing for their next location.
James fell behind the group, unable to keep pace as they walked ahead.
He and his girlfriend had just made a public appearance at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, thus the hat.
GOING STRONG
The couple has been together since 2017, staying strong during James’ fall from grace.
They attended Cannes 2024 from May 16 to May 18 and attended an afterparty at one point.
James donned a tuxedo, looking heavier than fans have come to expect, and Izabel a chic black dress with ties up the leg.
The couple first went public with their relationship in 2018, making their red carpet debut that same year.
Earlier this year, the couple was photographed attending an event during Milan Fashion Week.
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT CLAIMS
In 2018, more than five women, including multiple students at his film school, Studio 4, accused the Disaster Artist star of sexual misconduct.
More than a year later, on October 3, 2019, two Studio 4 students filed a lawsuit against James and his partners, alleging his film school was a scheme and the students were exploited.
The suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, accused James and his male collaborators of creating “an environment of harassment and sexual exploitation both in and out of the class.”
The suit also claimed that James and his partners “engaged in widespread inappropriate and sexually charged behavior towards female students.”
The suit additionally claimed James and his peers abused their power “by dangling the opportunity for roles in their projects.”
One student described performing in an orgy scene with James, during which she said he allegedly removed actresses’ vaginal guards while simulating oral sex.
At the time, Franco’s lawyer, Michael Plonsker, said that “James will not only fully defend himself, but will also seek damages from the plaintiffs and their attorneys for filing this scurrilous publicity-seeking lawsuit.”
The lawsuit reached a settlement in 2021 – James and associated entities agreed to pay $2,235,000.
Later that year, James admitted to having sexual relationships with his film school students in an interview on the podcast The Jess Cagle Show.
“Over the course of my teaching, I did sleep with students, and that was wrong,” he said.
FALLING OUT
In 2021, the actor’s longtime collaborator Seth Rogen said he won’t work with James anymore due to the claims.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Seth addressed the scandal surrounding James.
The pair have appeared in several movies together, such as Pineapple Express, The Disaster Artist, This Is The End, The Interview, Sausage Party and many others projects.
Sesh was asked about actress Charlyne Yi’s past claims James was a “sexual predator” while Seth was “an enabler”.
He said, “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.”
Since the allegations, the once A-list star has stayed out of the spotlight.
According to his IMDB page, James hasn’t appeared in a project since he voiced a character in the animated film Arctic Dogs in 2019.
However, he has several projects in the works and was at the Cannes Film Festival 2024 trying to sell his new film Razor’s Edge.
