Last year, James Franco was hit with a lawsuit by two of his former film students, who accused the 41-year-old actor/director of engaging in sexually exploitative behaviour while he was their teacher at the Studio 4 acting school. Now, he has asked a court to throw out the suit claiming that they have "ensnared an innocent man" after allegedly hopping on the #MeToo "bandwagon."
Franco's attorney filed a demurrer late last week claiming that the lawsuit was salacious and false. The statement alleges that the suit was filed "with the obvious goal of grabbing as much publicity as possible for attention-hungry plaintiffs."
The suit was filed in October by accusers Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal. They claim that Franco and his partners "engaged in widespread inappropriate and sexually charged behaviour towards female students by sexualizing their power as a teacher and an employer by dangling the opportunity for roles in their projects."
Franco's attorney alleged that Tither-Kaplan opted to "jump on the bandwagon and insert herself into the media's insatiable appetite to ruin the next celebrity."
The demurrer continues by saying that Franco is "an ardent believer in the righteousness of the #MeToo and Times Up movements," adding that the plaintiffs are"reprehensible individuals" who "have also ensnared an innocent man."
The document also attempts to negate Tither-Kaplan's allegations by saying she had several tweets that praised the acting school.
Read the document here via Variety.
Franco's attorney filed a demurrer late last week claiming that the lawsuit was salacious and false. The statement alleges that the suit was filed "with the obvious goal of grabbing as much publicity as possible for attention-hungry plaintiffs."
The suit was filed in October by accusers Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal. They claim that Franco and his partners "engaged in widespread inappropriate and sexually charged behaviour towards female students by sexualizing their power as a teacher and an employer by dangling the opportunity for roles in their projects."
Franco's attorney alleged that Tither-Kaplan opted to "jump on the bandwagon and insert herself into the media's insatiable appetite to ruin the next celebrity."
The demurrer continues by saying that Franco is "an ardent believer in the righteousness of the #MeToo and Times Up movements," adding that the plaintiffs are"reprehensible individuals" who "have also ensnared an innocent man."
The document also attempts to negate Tither-Kaplan's allegations by saying she had several tweets that praised the acting school.
Read the document here via Variety.
