Two former students of an acting school run by James Franco have filed a lawsuit against the star, alleging “young and inexperienced females” were coerced to participate in overly-sexualised auditions which defied industry norms.
The New York Times reports actors Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal filed the suit on Thursday, alleging Franco and his business partners used the now-closed Studio 4 school to exploit vulnerable women.
Gaal alleges she tried out for a master class on performing sex scenes, but was turned down by Studio 4 after voicing her discomfort at how the lessons were operated.
Echoing allegations she laid in 2018, Tither-Kaplan said the masterclass led to roles Franco’s films in which she was often asked to perform nude.
She also alleged Franco removed a plastic guard used to cover actors’ genitalia during an orgy scene and performed mock oral sex on the actors, a clear contravention of industry standards.
She states some of the films remain unreleased. The lawsuit also states Studio 4 asked students to sign over the rights to audition recordings.
The suit seeks monetary compensation, the destruction of any footage of the nude auditions or performances, and class action status, which would permit other actors allegedly subjected to misconduct to join the lawsuit.
Franco is yet to comment on the lawsuit.
Discussing the 2018 allegations last year, Franco told Late Night host Seth Meyers “I have my own side of this story, but I believe in these people that have been underrepresented getting their stories out enough that I will hold back things that I could say, just because I believe in it that much.
“So if I have to take a knock because I’m not going to try and actively refute things, then I will, because I believe in it that much.”
Franco was nixed from speaking panel line-ups and a Vanity Fair cover in the aftermath of those allegations, but has continued to star in HBO’s The Deuce, which premiered its third season last month.
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