James Franco is “paranoid” over the sexual misconduct allegations that have been made against him, a source tells Us Weekly.
“He changed his phone number the second the scandal broke,” the insider says. “He’s keeping a very low profile. He is only talking to a very few select people now. He’s paranoid about anything getting out.”
The scandal began during the 2018 Golden Globes when Ally Sheedy wrote in a series of since-deleted cryptic tweets that Franco, 39, should not have been “allowed in” at the January 7 awards show. The Breakfast Club actress, who worked with Franco in an off-Broadway production of The Long Shrift in 2014, then suggested that she “left the film/tv business” because of the actor. Days later, five women claimed in a Los Angeles Times report that the Disaster Artist actor had behaved inappropriately with them.
“James knew the story was going to break. He was really concerned about it and was nervous to walk the carpet at the Globes,” the source tells Us. “When the Times’ Up campaign started and on the night of the Globes, he knew the news was hitting the next day.”
The insider adds, “He tried calling multiple women [before the news broke] to try apologizing and to try to get them to stop talking.”
Franco’s attorney has disputed all of the allegations, while the Deuce star — who attended the SAG Awards on Sunday, January 21, amid the scandal — spoke out on multiple late-night shows. “I completely support people coming out and being able to have a voice because they didn’t have a voice for so long,” he said on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on January 9. “So, I don’t want to shut them down in any way.”
