James Franco may have won a Golden Globe for his role in The Disaster Artist on Sunday night, but his win was accompanied by a glut of allegations on Twitter regarding his behaviour towards women.
Several people - including actress Ally Sheedy and actress Violet Paley - insinuated or outright accused Franco of sexual assault, with Paley claiming that he once forced her to perform oral sex on him, and had asked one of her friends to come to his hotel room when she was 17. She added that Franco had called her "and several other girls" to apologise for his behaviour a few weeks ago.
With Franco and his brother Dave on the show to discuss the film's success, Colbert brought up the allegations with the elder sibling and asked him if he had a response. He replied that "There were some things on Twitter — I didn’t read them. I’ve heard about them.... 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 a good thing and I support it."
See the video below:
Full transcript:
Franco: Well, first, I want to say I wore it because I do support it. I was, you know — look, I was excited to win, but being in that room that night was incredible. I mean, it was powerful and there were incredible voices, and I support it. I support change. I support 50/50 in 2020, which just means people that are underrepresented — women, people of color, people in the LGBT community — get leadership positions, that they fill all positions that they have been deprived of. I completely believe in that. That’s why I wore it.
There were some things on Twitter — I didn’t read them. I’ve heard about them. Okay, first of all, I have no idea what I did to Ally Sheedy. I directed her in a play Off Broadway. I had nothing but a great time with her, total respect for her. I have no idea why she was so upset. She took the tweet down. I don’t know. I can’t speak for her, I don’t know. The others, look, in my life I pride myself on taking responsibility for things that I’ve done. I have to do that to maintain my well-being. I do it whenever I know that there is something wrong or needs to be changed, I make it a point to do it. 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 a good thing and I support it.
Colbert: Well, is there something else that you think - some way to have this discussion that isn’t in social media? Is there some way to have this conversation that piggy backs on what’s happening in social media? Because when accusations happen - because for so long accusations were not believed. When accusations happened, that in your case, you say that this is not an accurate thing for me. Do you have any idea what the answer might be to come to some sense of what the truth is so there can be some sort of reconciliation between people who clearly have different views of things? I mean, its a big question but I don’t know how to leave or to further this discussion.
Franco: I mean, like I said, if I, you know, know, I - I can’t - the way I live my life, I can’t live if there’s restitution to be made . I will make it. So if I’ve done something wrong, I will fix it. I have to. I mean, I think that’s how that works. I don’t know what else - I don’t know what else to do. I mean, as far as the bigger issues, you know, how we do it. I - look, I really don’t have the answers and I think the point of this whole thing is that we listen. You know, there were incredible people talking that night. They had a lot to say, and I’m here to listen and learn and change my perspective where it’s off, and I’m completely willing and want to.