The Oscar nominations always bring about a buzz, but this year, one particular topic of conversation has been the decision to exclude James Franco from the 'Best Actor' category. The actor would've been nominated for his portrayal of Tommy Wiseau in 'The Disaster Artist', and after winning the Critics' Choice Award and a Golden Globe, we believed he was the favorite contender for the Oscars. The Academy, however, have overlooked the actor's performance and it appears as though the accusations against him, made by various different women, have a lot to do with that decision.
While Franco himself hasn't spoken out about his exclusion, a close source reached out to E! News with the following statement: "James is disappointed in not getting an Oscar nomination, but also very understanding and somewhat relieved. He doesn't want it to look like the snub is correlated with the allegations against him". Whilst the actor has denied the accusations, his future in Hollywood is very much in question. In the latest Women's march on 20th January, Scarlett Johansson indirectly called out Franco with an "I want my pin back, by the way", in reference to the actor's Time's Up pin that he sported on the Golden Globes' red carpet.
"James is trying to get through this rocky patch and hopes everything will blow over appropriately. He is really leaning on his family right now and trying to stay under the radar as much as possible", continued the statement. Another source previously claimed Franco was "not doing well". At the SAG Awards, which took place on 21st January, Franco was nominated for 'Best Actor' and appeared at the ceremony, although he skipped the red carpet. His sister in-law, Alison Brie (wife to Dave Franco), defended the actor in his absence.
The accusations
The accusations against James Franco haven't stopped rearing their heads, however. Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Violet Paley, two of his accusers, appeared on Good Morning America recently where they explained their experiences with the actor. Tither-Kaplan participated in one of Franco's masterclasses entitled 'sex scenes' and explained how the actor "created exploitative environments". Tither-Kaplan continued that "there were a lot of scenes that were added after we were given the original scripts that, I felt, I wished I had more time to consider them .... A lot of the time they seemed gratuitous and exploitative". She also added that those women who were willing to participate in nude scenes were favoured over those who weren't.
"James Franco is absolutely not a Harvey Weinstein", she claims. However, "it's a pyramid, and at the top is rape and sexual violence, and at the bottom are the other abuses of power, that, when they continue to happen over and over, build and build and build and create a culture that allows the most heinous examples of sexual violence and misogyny and discrimination to happen". For her part, Violet Paley explained how Franco coerced her into performing a sexual act, and voiced a "please just apologise".
