'Disaster Artist' star Charlyne Yi calls James Franco a ‘sexual predator'

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By VT

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Charlyne Yi has branded James Franco a "sexual predator" and Seth Rogen an "enabler" in an explosive Instagram post.

Yi worked with Franco and Rogen on the 2017 Oscar-nominated movie The Disaster Artist which Franco also directed.

The 35-year-old actress claimed that producers on the film "bribed" her when she tried to leave the project due to allegations surrounding Franco.

Taking to Instagram on April 8 to share a lengthy post on the matter, she wrote: "When I tried to break legal contract & quit Disaster Artist because James Franco is a sexual predator, they tried to bribe me with a bigger acting role.

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Credit: Instagram

"I cried and told them that that was the exact opposite of what I wanted, that I didn’t feel safe working with a f**king sexual predator. They minimized and said Franco being a predator was so last year and that he changed… when I literally heard of him abusing new women that week."

She went on to say that "predators will perform empathy, gaslight, & say they will do better – all in order to protect themselves and continue to harm others."

Yi continued: "White men saying it's not their responsibility when holding Franco accountable, or when holding Seth Rogen and enablers accountable. Then whose responsibility is it? The women and children who have PTSD from Franco? Or the future targets of abuse?"

According to Yi's caption for the post, Rogen, 38, was one of the movie's producers and "he definitely knows about the bribe and why I quit."

She added: "Seth also did a sketch on SNL with Franco enabling Franco preying on children. Right after Franco was caught. Franco has a long history of preying on children. This is on top all the corrupt laws that protect predators made by violent white men."

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Credit: Instagram

Later on in the caption, Yi explained: "Denying/gaslighting is a tactic that abusers and enablers use that is psychological violence, & has serious affects: the survivor loses sense of reality/intuition to protect self from targeted again, PTSD, suicidal thoughts/suicide, etc."

She concluded the post by explaining that as it's Sexual Assault Awareness Month, men should be educating themselves on how to protect women, nonbinary people and trans people.

Per Page Six, in 2018, five women, four of whom were Franco's acting students, accused the 42-year-old actor of sexual misconduct.  Earlier this year, a settlement was agreed as part of a lawsuit accusing the actor of taking advantage of his student in a sexual manner.

In 2014, Franco allegedly contacted a 17-year-old fan on social media about meeting up in a hotel. Franco later defended himself, saying he acted like a "gentleman" and didn’t know how old she was.

VT has contacted Franco's reps for comment.

Featured image credit: JEP Celebrity Photos / Alamy Stock Photo