James Franco attends SAG Awards despite sexual misconduct claims
Last night, Hollywood's leading lads and ladies came together to honour the best achievements in film and television performances over the last 12 months.
The 24th annual Screen Actor's Guild Award proved to be a true celebration of the power of women, with many hosts taking the opportunity to thank the 'silence breakers' who made strides to end sexual harassment and abuse in the entertainment industry.
With this in mind, many viewers were shocked to spot James Franco in the audience despite having been accused earlier this month of inappropriate behaviour.
The 39-year-old was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for his role in The Disaster Artist, however, he decided to skip the red carpet and pre-show interviews.
The Los Angeles Times, which first reported that five women had accused the actor of sexual misconduct, said on Friday that the actor planned to attend the ceremony.
James has denied all allegations of wrongdoing, claiming that he prides himself on being able to take responsibility for his actions.
Speaking on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the actor said the claims made against him were “not accurate” and said he completely supports “people coming out and being able to have a voice because they didn’t have a voice for so long.
He also said during an interview on NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers that he has his “own side of this story.”
At the 2018 #SAGAwards, Alison Brie addressed the allegations of sexual misconduct made against her brother-in-law, James Franco: "It remains vital that anyone that feels victimized should and does have the right to speak out and come forward." pic.twitter.com/dG5uJJVko7
— E! News (@enews) January 21, 2018
Alison Brie, Franco's sister-in-law and The Disaster Artist co-star, was quizzed about the allegations on last night's red carpet.
When asked by E! News' Giuliana Rancic to describe how the allegations had impacted her family, the actress said: “Not everything that has been reported is fully accurate, so I think we’re waiting to get all the information. But of course now is the time for listening, and that’s what we’re all trying to do.”
Meanwhile, Aziz Ansari, who was also accused of inappropriate behaviour, did not attend last night's ceremony.
