After five women accused The Deuce star James Franco of sexual misconduct in the Los Angeles Times, the show’s creator David Simon has issued a statement. He’s still reading the reports, same as everyone else, he says, but he can confirm that neither The Deuce nor HBO has received complaints about Franco’s behavior. “In our experience, he was entirely professional as an actor, director and producer,†Simon said in his statement. The Deuce follows the early days of the porn industry, and Franco plays a pair of twin brothers. He executive produces the series and also directed two episodes.
Franco responded to the allegations in a pair of late-night interviews that aired before the Times report. “The things that I’ve heard that were on Twitter are not accurate, but I completely support people coming out and being able to have a voice, because they didn’t have a voice for so long,†he told Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night. “There are stories that need to get out. There are people that need to be heard,†Franco later told Seth Meyers. “I have my own side of this story, but I believe in these people that have been underrepresented getting their stories out enough that I will hold back things that I could say just because I believe in it that much. And if I have to take a knock because I’m not gonna try and actively refute things, then I will, because I believe in it that much.†See Simon’s full statement below: