In the span of one week, James Franco accepted an award for Best Actor at the Golden Globes ( (while wearing a #TimesUp lapel pin), a Critic's Choice Award, and was outed for sexual misconduct with students from his acting school. If some Academy members have their say, those could be the last award that Franco receives.
The Los Angeles Times, who broke the initial story about Franco, reports that some members of the Academy are reconsidering their vote to nominate Franco for Best Actor. “I voted for him, and reading that story, I regret that I did, one actress told the Times. “I liked him in The Disaster Artist, but I wish I could have that vote back," said another actress, before noting last year's controversy involving Casey Affleck. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Franco could have received many votes before the Time's story was reported, and may still obtain an Oscars nomination simply due to the timing of the voting window and the allegations becoming public. Franco has denied all allegations.
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An Academy spokesperson told the Times that they may not rescind or change their votes after submitting their ballots.
The question that has been on everyone's minds over the past six months is: how can we believe, protect, and find justice for victims of sexual harassment and assault? Justice can look like a lot things, but because the criminal justice system notoriously fails to put away perpetrators, it often falls onto the community to determine justice. These days, that community centers around the abuser's job or social networks. And for an actor as famous as Franco, that community involves the film’s highest and most visible honors. Time will tell if he subject to the same scrutiny as actors like Kevin Spacey and Louis C.K., but one thing is for certain: time’s up.
If you have experienced sexual violence and are in need of crisis support, please call the RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).