LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Franco and his co-defendants have agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle a lawsuit alleging he intimidated students at an acting and film school he founded into gratuitous and exploitative sexual situations. The sides reached an agreement in February, but the details and dollar amount were not revealed until Wednesday. Two ex-students at Franco’s now-defunct acting and film school, Studio 4, first brought the suit in 2019. The sides released a joint statement saying the defendants still deny the allegations, but all agree that it is a critical time to focus on addressing the mistreatment of women in Hollywood.
