James Franco recently skipped the Critics' Choice Awards amid claims that he sexually harassed a slew of women in the industry. However, the actor's absence did not stop him from bringing home an award on Thursday night.
James Franco Wins
The actor won Best Actor for his role in The Disaster Artist, but he did not receive his award personally. Vice Principals star Walton Goggins presented Franco's award and informed the attendees that he wasn't around.
Where Is He?
A source recently revealed that the 39-year-old actor is in "a really bad place" after he was accused by five women of sexual assault.
"He's in a really bad place, so bad that he changed his phone number. His close friends are trying to be there for him but it's been hard - he's only talking to a select group of people. For now, he's just hiding out," said an unnamed source.
Complaints Indirectly Denied
A day before the awards show, Franco appeared in Late Night Seth Meyers where he addressed the recent sexual harassment allegations.
The Pineapple Express star said that he has his own side of the story, but he believes that the women who came forward have been underrepresented. Franco also said that for that reason alone, he has chosen to not shut down the complaints.
Who Is Sarah Tither-Kaplan?
Meanwhile, after the actor won an award at the 2018 Golden Globes on Sunday, five women claimed that Franco sexually harassed them. Sarah Tither-Kaplan, a former student at the film school that the actor founded, said that Franco sexually exploited her alongside three other students and one of her mentors.
"I feel there was an abuse of power, and there was a culture of exploiting non-celebrity women, and a culture of women being replaceable," said Tither-Kaplan.
The complainant alleged that Franco removed protective plastic guards covering the vaginas of female actresses while they filmed an orgy scene with him. Two of the complainants also revealed that Franco got upset when none of them agreed to go topless during filming.
Actor Denies Allegations
On Tuesday, Franco appeared in The Late Show With James Colbert where he denied sexually assaulting anyone. The actor said the information found online is not accurate.
The actor also clarified that he fully supports women who have come forward about their sexual assault stories, but stressed that he's not done anything wrong to anyone.
"If I have done something wrong, I will fix it. I have to," said Franco.
