A class-action lawsuit set against James Franco has concluded with a multimillion-dollar settlement. It was back in 2019 when two women, Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal, filed a lawsuit against the actor and his partners. The ladies were reportedly students of Franco’s acting school, paying $300 per month for classes, but they alleged that instead, they were subject to intimidation and were sexually objectified. It was alleged that students who agreed to take off their clothes in front of Franco were treated better than others. The women also accused the actor and his associates of fraud.
There were also accusations that those who participated in certain behaviors would later receive roles in Franco’s films. Franco, through his attorney, previously denied the allegations against him, but both Variety and ABC News reported today (June 30) that Franco and his accusers have reached a $2,235,000 settlement in the case.
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“The settlement would mean Tither-Kaplan and Gaal would drop their claims without prejudice, with other members of the class given roughly two months to opt out should they choose to further pursue their case,” Variety reported. “Any unclaimed money would be contributed to the National Women’s Center.”
A joint statement was released by everyone involved:
“The parties and their counsel are pleased to have resolved portions of this dispute and pending lawsuit. While Defendants continue to deny the allegations in the complaint, they acknowledge that Plaintiffs have raised important issues; and all parties strongly believe that now is a critical time to focus on address the mistreatment of women in Hollywood. All agree on the need to make sure that no one in the entertainment industry — regardless of sex, race, religion, disability, ethnicity, background, gender or sexual orientation — faces discrimination, harassment or prejudice of any kind.”
There are also “non-economic” terms that have not been made public. Back in May, Franco’s longtime collaborator Seth Rogen shared that he had no plans to work with his friend in the future and regretted joking about the allegations against Franco in the past.
