Actor James Franco to pay RM9mil to settle sexual misconduct suit

The lawsuit alleged that James Franco (pic) and his associates coerced students into performing explicit sex scenes on camera. Photo: AP

James Franco has signed off on paying US$2,235,000 (RM9mil) to settle an Octtober 2019 lawsuit alleging he and his associates coerced students into performing explicit sex scenes on camera. The proposed figure was revealed in court filings that were made public on Wednesday, and a Los Angeles judge will need to approve it.

In 2019, Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal filed a class action complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging that Franco and his partners "engaged in widespread inappropriate and sexually charged behaviour towards female students by sexualising their power as a teacher and an employer by dangling the opportunity for roles in their projects". They argued they were victims of fraud, paying US$300 a month for an acting school opened by Franco and his business partner Vince Jolivette in 2014 at which they claimed they were intimidated and sexually objectified. They further alleged that those who were willing to disrobe in front of Franco and his friends were given special treatment.