LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two actresses on Thursday filed a civil lawsuit against actor James Franco, accusing him of running a mock school of acting through which young women used dreams to start acting.
The 41-year-old Oscar-nominated actor, who is currently starring in the HBO television series The Dios, was charged with exploiting young aspirants to act in his now-closed school.
"James will not only defend himself fully, but will seek compensation from the residents of the case and their attorneys to make this malevolent case for fame," Franco's lawyer, Michael Blonsker, said in a statement.
Actresses Sarah Tether-Kaplan and Tony Gall said they were present at the Franco School of Representation in 2014. They accused Franco and two other men linked to the production company and his school of sex discrimination, harassment and fraud, among other charges.
The lawsuit said Franco and his colleagues were "seducing aspirants to act in acting by finding opportunities for them in film and television."
Franco's best-known films include "127 Hours", "Spider-Man" (Spider-Man) and "Disastrous Artist" (The Disaster Artist). At the Golden Globe concert on January 7, 2018, Franco wore the logo of the anti-harassment Times Up movement.