James Franco has admitted to sleeping with students at an acting school he previously ran, saying he has been addicted to sex and has worked to improve his behavior in recent years.
In excerpts from "The Jess Cagle Podcast" on SiriusXM made public on Wednesday, Franco, 43, said that while teaching, he "slept with the students and that was wrong." He said he had not set up the school to seduce women for sexual purposes.
"I thought at the time that if both sides agreed, it was okay," he added. "I was not clear at the time."
This was the first time he commented on the situation. Nearly four years ago, the Los Angeles Times reported that five women had accused the actor of behaviors they considered inappropriate.
Later, in October 2019, two women filed a civil lawsuit against the actor, accusing him of exploiting people seeking to become actors in his school (which no longer exists) and of tricking young girls into shooting scenes sexual.
He said he had developed a sex addiction after battling alcohol addiction at an early age. In the podcast interview, the actor also added that he had recovered from sex addiction since 2016 and had "done a lot of work" following the allegations. "I did not want to hurt people," he said.
James Franco hosted the 2011 Oscars, and in 2012 was nominated for Best Actor for his performance in "127 Hours."
