Charlyne Yi spoke about her experience working with James Franco and Seth Rogen on The disaster artist.
On Thursday April 8, the 35-year-old actress revealed on Instagram that she tried to quit the 2017 film and break her contract after learning of sexual assault charges against Franco. Franco, who directed the film, played Tommy Wiseau in the film, while Rogen was a producer and also starred in the film.
“When I tried to break the legal contract and quit Disaster artist because James Franco is a sexual predator, they tried to bribe me with a bigger acting role, ”she shared. “I cried and told them that was the exact opposite of what I wanted, that I didn’t feel safe working with a f-king sexual predator.
“They played down and said Franco was a predator last year and changed … when I literally heard about him abusing new women that week,” Yi added. “Predators will empathize, gas and say they will do better – all in an effort to protect themselves and continue to harm others. Facilitators are just as toxic and are aggressors too. “
Yi said she wanted to share her story as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is observed in April to raise awareness and educate individuals on how to prevent sexual violence.
“Why don’t any of James Franco’s white male ‘feminist’ peers hold him accountable for abusing women and then use his power and platform to indict them?” she asked in an additional message. “Seth Rogen literally made a statement saying that men’s opinions don’t matter on a men’s issue, but pursued SNL using his white male voice and power to sketch with Franco, normalizing the prey to underage girls. Which is dehumanization and patriarchal violence. “
“Until the men (especially white men) show up and do the job,” Yi added.
Franco faced charges of sexual misconduct dating back to 2014, when a minor shared screenshots of messages exchanged between her and Franco, then 35, which showed him trying to to meet in a hotel room. Franco confirmed that he sent these messages but denied all other allegations.
Neither Franco nor Rogen responded to Yi’s allegations.
