James Franco speaks onstage during the National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on January 9, 2018 in New York City.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Five women have made allegations of sexually inappropriate and exploitative behavior against James Franco, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The Disaster Artist actor and director was first hit with a series of allegations after picking up a Golden Globe award on Sunday.
Four of the women the Times spoke to were students that Franco coached at either his own Studio 4 school or at Playhouse West in North Hollywood. Sarah Tither-Kaplan, who spoke out about Franco during the Globes, accused Franco of “abuse of power”. She said that during a nude orgy scene “he removed protective plastic guards covering other actresses’ vaginas while simulating oral sex on them.”
Two other women told the Times that Franco became angry when a group of actresses on a movie of his refused to go topless on a shoot at a strip club. Hilary Dusome said Franco "stormed off" when no actresses volunteered. A second woman, Natalie Chmiel, repeated the claim.
Katie Ryan, a student at Studio 4, said the actor “would always make everybody think there were possible roles on the table if we were to perform sexual acts or take off our shirts." Meanwhile, 23-year-old Violet Paley said he pressured her into performing oral sex on him, a claim she too previously made on Twitter.
Franco’s attorney, Michael Plonsker, disputed all of the women’s allegations. Franco previously denied the accusations leveled at him on Twitter during an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Tuesday.
The FADER has James Franco's rep for comment.