James Franco has filed a demurrer, an objection to the allegations filed in the legal system by women accusing him of sexual misconduct.
“While the salacious allegations in the complaint have made great tabloid fodder, they are also false and inflammatory, legally baseless and brought improperly in the form of a class action largely to gain as much publicity as possible,” the demurrer stated (via People). “This lawsuit is a travesty of justice and the culmination of a meritless campaign that has unfairly tarnished a decent man’s hard-earned reputation.”
Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal filed the lawsuit several months ago. Sarah accused James of removing safety guards while filming an oral sex scene for 2015′s The Long Home.
“Ms. Tither-Kaplan had always expressed gratitude for having been given the opportunity to work in Emmy-nominated productions with Franco, one of her teachers,” the demurrer said about her. “Tither-Kaplan was so effusive in her praise of Franco that she had posted unsolicited tweets and texts extolling Franco’s virtues, how much she admired him and how much she got out of her time at Studio 4.”
“The casting director and others involved with those films have confirmed that all actresses, including Tither-Kaplan, were aware of the nudity scenes ahead of time, that they were constantly checking to make sure the actresses felt comfortable, that they signed nudity waivers, and that no one — including Tither-Kaplan — ever complained,” the demurrer added.
James was accused of sexually exploitative behavior and he had previously responded to those allegations.