ScarJo's Woody Allen History Haunts Her Attack on Franco

Star ripped James Franco for sex misconduct allegations, but some blast her for support of Allen
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 22, 2018 8:33 AM CST
Scarlett Johansson: Hypocrite or Hero for Calling Out Franco?
Scarlett Johansson, right, speaks as Mila Kunis holds a microphone for her at the Women's March on Saturday in Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

James Franco has been caught up in controversy ever since he appeared at the Golden Globes wearing a Time's Up pin, leading to cryptic allegations from actress Ally Sheedy and more detailed sexual-misconduct accusations from five other women. Now Scarlett Johansson has jumped into the fray, using her podium time at the Women's March in Los Angeles on Saturday. "How could a person publicly stand by an organization that helps to provide support for victims of sexual assault while privately preying on people who have no power?" Johansson said, per the Los Angeles Times, which notes the actress was one of the celebrities who signed the Time's Up launch letter calling for an end to sexual misconduct in Hollywood. "I want my pin back, by the way," she added, with a rep confirming to the Times and USA Today that Johansson was referring to Franco.

But Fox News and News.com.au report that some say Johansson is a "hypocrite" for blasting Franco, as she's starred in three Woody Allen movies and defended the director on allegations by daughter Dylan Farrow that he molested her as a child. In a 2014 Guardian interview, Johansson said it was "irresponsible" for Farrow to name her as a star who's been complicit in letting Allen slide. "It's not like this is somebody that's been prosecuted and found guilty of something ... I mean, it's all guesswork," Johansson noted at the time, adding "it would be ridiculous for me to make any kind of assumption one way or the other." One comment on Twitter regarding Johansson: "When it's about money and career, the times up movement disappears very quickly I guess." (Another star whose Time's Up pin set an accuser off: Aziz Ansari.)

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