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Busy Philipps says James Franco assaulted her during ‘Freaks and Geeks’

‘He threw me to the ground. Flat on my back. Wind knocked out of me.’

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Sunny Kim

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Actress Busy Philipps, who played Kim Kelly 1999’s Freaks and Geeks, has accused James Franco of physically assaulting her on set, Vulture reports.

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In her memoir This Will Only Hurt A Little, Philipps said that Franco was a “fucking bully” to her during the filming of the show. Per Philipps’ account, one scene involved her character Kelly gently pushing Franco’s character, Daniel Desario. Franco was startled by the gesture and yelled at Philipps.

“He grabbed both my arms and screamed in my face, ‘DON’T EVER TOUCH ME AGAIN!” Philipps wrote, according to Vulture. “He threw me to the ground. Flat on my back. Wind knocked out of me.”

Philipps said Franco apologized the next day but only after the show’s producers and director insisted he do so.

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Following Philipps’ revelation, skeptical Twitter reactions were typical of what accusers face after coming forward about assault or harassment. Some people asked why Philipps chose to reveal the incident now.

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https://twitter.com/MarBrown16/status/1049409890031161350

Other believed Philipp’s allegations were false.

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https://twitter.com/ClutchMilroy/status/1049410622675451904

https://twitter.com/AFemdomFantasy/status/1049412175012319232

Other people on Twitter expressed their support for Philipps.

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Philipps has talked about animosity between her and Franco in the past. In a 2016 interview with Andy Cohen, Philipps said Franco was the most difficult celebrity she had worked with.

“When we were 19, we were on Freaks and Geeks and we really, really disliked each other,” Philipps said. “He, like shoved me to the ground once. It was really brutal. But we’re friends now and we really like each other now as adults.”

Franco has been accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by five other women. He has denied all of the allegations.

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H/T Vulture

 
The Daily Dot