On January 7, 2018, James Franco stood tall on the world stage of the 75th Golden Globes, beaming with the feeling of pure elation as he accepted the award for Best Male Actor in a Musical or Comedy.
"Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press for all of your support over the years," he said while sporting a small "Time's Up" pin on his tuxedo jacket. "This was billed as a movie about making the best worst movie ever made. But in fact, it's a story of friendship."
Just a few weeks later, Franco would be torn apart and ripped out of Hollywood's elite list of celebrities as his once charismatic image would be smeared by a series of incomprehensible allegations.
James Franco, an early frontrunner in this year's awards season, did not receive an Oscar nomination for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Tommy Wiseau in "The Disaster Artist" after being accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct.
In a Los Angeles Times story published on January 11, five women accused Franco of inappropriate and sexual exploitative behavior, claiming that the actor, director, and Ivy League academic abused his power by removing protective plastic guards covering other actresses’ vaginas while simulating oral sex on them, while another claims he pressured her to perform oral sex while in a consensual relationship.
The publication of the piece came days after women took to Twitter to protest Franco's Golden Globes win and came out claiming that they had experienced sexual harassment by him. Franco has continued to state that the claims against him were "not accurate".
“I have my own side of this story, but I believe in these people that have been underrepresented getting their stories out enough that I will hold back things that I could say just because I believe in that much." He added, "If I have to take a knock because I’m not going to try and actively refute things, then I will, because I believe in it that much.”
Amid the scandal, Franco attended the SAG Awards last Sunday, but maintained a rather quiet appearance, unlike his rather outspoken personality. He would lose the award to Gary Oldman that night.
As the Oscar nominations were announced early on Tuesday, January 23, it has now become apparent that Hollywood is taking a rather public stance against the actor and those who have been caught up in the scandals of the #MeToo movement.
To much of the internet's surprise — and most likely to Franco himself — he did not receive a nomination, which only weeks and even months earlier had seemed to be the talk in Hollywood.
Not only had he received a Golden Globe for the role, but he had also won the Critic's Choice Award for Best Actor in a Comedy. In what had seemed like award's season gold, had since turned into something that looked much more like coal.
Instead of nominating Franco for his seemingly breathless and charming take on Wiseau's dry and sometimes bombastic archetype, the title was given to Denzel Washington for his role in "Roman J. Israel, Esq.," a movie that was delivered a "rotten" score of 49% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to Franco's "fresh" approval of 91%.
Washington's portrayal of the heavy-handed lawyer received very little critical acclaim and mostly negative reviews, leaving some to believe this to be a slap in the face to Franco's character and credibility. Could the Foreign Press have really given the nomination to a less popular film in response to the feminist movements sweeping the nation?
As the #MeToo and "Time's Up" movements have stood up for women who are victims of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace, it seems that the film industry has made up their mind on who is guilty. While I do see these movements as positive steps forward in the search for gender equality and women's rights the idea of Hollywood making assumptions based on unverified claims seems a bit far-fetched and even disheartening at best.
If men are going to be publically accused of mishandling or misinterpreting sexual situations, they should be heard out just as the accusers are. In a turn for the worst, Hollywood has decided to proceed with the status quo, to choose to place blame on one before one is given a fair trial.
It is extremely likely that more names will be added to the list of #MeToo's victims, leaving undeserving awards in their wake, while shattering entire careers for unsubstantiated claims.