NYT Cancels James Franco Event After ‘Recent Allegations’

The New York Times on Tuesday canceled an upcoming event featuring James Franco after sexual-misconduct allegations against the actor surfaced on social media. Franco, who was due to appear at a TimesTalk event Wednesday to discuss the making of The Disaster Artist, was accused of sexual misconduct shortly after expressing support for an anti-sexual-harassment movement at the Golden Globes on Sunday. In a statement sent to Variety on Tuesday, The New York Times said it was “no longer comfortable” hosting the event with Franco “given the controversy surrounding recent allegations.” Actress Violet Paley took Franco to task on Sunday night for what she described as hypocrisy, alleging that he once pushed her head down toward his “exposed penis” and separately invited a 17-year-old girl to his hotel room. Actress Ally Sheedy also questioned why the actor was “allowed in” at the Golden Globes. Franco denied the allegations in an interview with Late Show host Stephen Colbert. “Look, in my life I pride myself on taking responsibility for things I’ve done,” he said, before adding: “The things that I heard that were on Twitter are not accurate.”