He disappeared from the spotlight after being accused by his students of inappropriate behavior towards them.
Now Hollywood actor James Franco has appeared in public again, showing his face at an exclusive party in Cannes.
In 2019, Mr. Franco was accused and sued by five of his students who attended his film school, Studio 4, for behaving inappropriately and sexually toward them — one accused him of forcing her to perform oral sex.
Franco’s lawyer denied the allegations at the time and he eventually settled the lawsuit. In a podcast interview late last year, Franco reiterated his belief that any sexual contact between him and his students was consensual.
“While teaching, I slept with students, and it was wrong,” he said.
Having previously played leading roles in Spider-Man, Pineapple Express and 127 Hours, among others, Mr. Franco was once a party regular.
Arriving later in the evening on Thursday evening, Mr Franco was seen in the VIP section wearing a tuxedo at an exclusive Nespresso party on the Croisette in Cannes.
The party, which also included actor Barry Keoghan, actress Hunter Schafer and ex-Love Islanders, continued late into the evening with a free-flowing bar and Italian food on tap.
Reluctant to be bothered, Mr. Franco sat in the VIP area, which was guarded by heavy security.
The 46-year-old looked worse for the wear and was unrecognizable compared to his previous performances less than a decade ago.
Because Franco has not worked on a project since the accusations, he is in Cannes to promote his new film with director Tommy Lee Jones.
The new film, The Razor’s Edge, is debuting in Cannes in hopes of attracting buyers and is expected to begin filming later in June.
It will be his first film appearance since 2018’s The Deuce, unless you count his voiceover work in Arctic Dogs the following year.
As the official sponsor of the festival, Nespresso collaborates with celebrities for two weeks.
Hollywood’s new IT man Mr Keoghan is the latest celebrity to collaborate with the brand – pictured last night attending before his own party for his latest film, Bird.