James Franco Refutes the Suggestion He's 'Been Hiding Out,' Says He Tries 'to Live a Positive Life'
James Franco Refutes the Suggestion He's 'Been Hiding Out,' Says He Tries 'to Live a Positive Life'
Jack SmartThu, May 14, 2026 at 1:45 PM UTC
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James Franco at the Cannes Film Festival on May 12
Credit: Lyvans Boolaky/Getty
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James Franco attended the 2026 Cannes Film Festival alongside his longtime girlfriend, Izabel Pakzad
After being accused in 2018 of sexual misconduct and settling a lawsuit, Franco refuted the suggestion he has “been hiding out” in recent years
“I just go forward and try to live a positive life,” the actor told Deadline
James Franco is focused on the positives these days.
“It's not true I've been hiding out,” the actor-filmmaker, 48, told Deadline at the Cannes Film Festival's official dinner on Tuesday, May 12 after appearing on the red carpet a day earlier. “I've been here the last three or four years running, selling things... They treat me well and I get to go and see great movies.”
Franco and his longtime girlfriend Izabel Pakzad were among the stars walking the carpet at the fest's opening night screening of The Electric Kiss. Franco's new action-thriller Foster also had a market screening on Monday, May 11.
In 2018, the Oscar nominee was accused of sexual misconduct by five women, four of whom were his acting students. Franco settled a lawsuit with two of the women in 2021. Records PEOPLE obtained at the time showed he agreed to pay $2.235 million in the settlement.
James Franco and Isabel Pakzad at the Cannes Film Festival on May 12
Credit: Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty
When asked if he feels he's been treated unfairly, Franco told Deadline, “I don't know. What am I going to do? I just go forward and try to live a positive life.”
“I just try to be the best person I can be," Franco added. "I think I was put on this planet to make movies. I try to make movies the best I can and it's kinda like all I can do.”
The actor also told Deadline that he now has a role in a “big studio movie” that has been shot and should be ready for release “end of this year or spring-summer 2027.” Franco has not starred in a major Hollywood film since The Disaster Artist, a 2017 biopic in which he played The Room filmmaker Tommy Wiseau.
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Since ending a hiatus from screen work between 2019 and 2024, Franco has starred in the movies The Price of Money: A Largo Winch Adventure, Hey Joe, Squali, and Bunny-Man. In addition to Foster, he also stars in an upcoming comedy titled Toad.
James Franco at the premiere of 'Hey Joe' on March 22
Credit: JC Olivera/Getty
“Being told you're bad is painful,” the Pineapple Express star told Variety in 2024, reflecting on the controversy he faced following the accusations against him by the former acting students. “But ultimately, that's kind of what I needed to just stop going the way I was going.”
The actor also said he had taken time to invest in his life away from show business.
"I put a lot of time into my personal life," he told Variety. "I’ve had a relationship for seven-and-a-half years [with Pakzad]. I was never able to do that before. I was just too scared, really … to have any sort of real intimacy with anyone."
This year's Cannes Film Festival runs through May 23.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
