James Franco is back and posting strange messages

Actor James Franco has posted a series of TikToks that are worrying his fan community.image: tick

Discreet for several years after several controversies, including accusations of sexual assault and friendly and professional breakups, actor James Franco is back on the public stage with a new TikTok account, on which he publishes strange alarmist messages.

While he rode to the heights of fame, beauty and fortune just a decade ago, James Franco has significantly lost his aura in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Accused in 2018 by five women of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior, he confessed three years later on the radio SiriusXM having had sexual relations with several students at his drama school.

Sued by his accusers for “behavior with a sexual connotation towards female students”, he agreed to pay 2.2 million dollars to settle the case. In his defense, he argued that he had exchanged his adolescent addiction for an addiction to sex and his own celebrity, as an adult.

“I guess at the time I thought: If it’s consensual, it’s OK,” he pleaded, before admitting that “it’s probably not cool.”

Back on TikTok

After several years of keeping a low profile, it seems that the Oscar-nominated actor is ready to return to the front of the stage. Or rather, with the social media front: under the pseudo JamesFranco2319, the 48-year-old American has transformed himself into a prolific content creator on TikTok. In the very first video, shot from his kitchen, James Franco, wearing a too-large t-shirt that reads “Bruce Robins,” announces the color:

And that was just a taste, because the following posts are just as bizarre, all captioned with a mysterious string of numbers, 2319. “If they take me away, you’ll know what happened!”, wrote the actor in the caption of the video number 5. While he states in another:

Suffice to say that each of the posts has been viewed millions of times. Faced with this behavior, although a bit erratic, many Internet users have expressed their concern, confusion and perplexity. “James, I think I speak for all of us… you’re stressing us out, man,” wrote one commenter.

When another rightly asks: “Do you wear the same thing every day, or do you film all the videos at once and post them daily?”

Hmmm.

A cleverly orchestrated madness

Fortunately, the mystery was soon resolved by the most insightful web investigators. James Franco’s account, which already has half a million users since its launch on June 3, only follows two other users: the official profile of Love Meets in the Sunshinean upcoming film, and that of its director, Christian Guiton.

James Franco’s worrying messages are explained.capture d’écran: tiktok

Produced by Cloud9 Studios and YouTuber David Dobrik, this comedy tells the story of a terminally ill patient who meets a “potential doctor” in the desert. Coincidentally, the film stars Nick Antonyan, Gene Simmons… and James Franco, of course!

It would therefore seem that the actor has not completely descended into madness or paranoid delirium, but that his return to social networks is more of a clever publicity stunt.

Only one question remains: will James Franco keep his éclairdingue TikTok account once his promo is over? Response to the release of Love Meets in the Sunshinethe date of which has not yet been announced. (mbr)

Les Swiss Street Food Awards à Bâle

1 / 14

Les Swiss Street Food Awards à Bâle

The Friborg team of The Food Bus