Star agrees payout over student sex allegations

Hollywood actor James Franco has agreed to pay a $2.2 million (£1.6 million) settlement after being accused of pushing female students to engage in explicit sex scenes on camera.

Franco was sued in Los Angeles in October 2019 by former students at his acting and film school.

The class action lawsuit, led by Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal, alleged he abused his position and dangled opportunities for roles in his films.

Students claimed they were victims of fraud for paying for the acting school while being sexually objectified and intimidated.

Court filings show Franco, 43, and his business partners have reached a settlement with the accusers, and the agreement now needs to be signed off by a judge.

Under the proposals, Tither-Kaplan will receive $670,500 (£485,000) minus legal fees, while Gaal is set to receive $223,500

(£161,000), minus legal fees. The rest will go to other students as well as legal fees.

The lawsuit alleged abuses took place at Franco’s Studio 4 school.

Tither-Kaplan had previously alleged sexual misconduct against Franco, shortly after he won a Golden Globe for his film The Disaster Artist in 2018.

If a judge signs off on the settlement, all parties will release a joint statement in which Franco would continue to deny the allegations.

James Franco.