The 60-year-old actress, who worked with Franco on 'The Disaster Artist,' calls him a 'kind friend.'
Sharon Stone is standing by James Franco's side.
In a new interview with Marc Maron on his WTF podcast, the 60-year-old actress defends Franco, who is facing multiple allegations of inappropriate behavior and abuse of power, which he has denied during appearances on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and Late Night With Seth Meyers earlier this year.
“I’m appalled by this thing about him that is happening. Now all of a sudden he’s a bad guy? I worked with him, I know him," said Stone, who worked alongside Franco on The Disaster Artist. "He's the loveliest, kindest, sweetest, elegant, nicest man. He’s a kind friend, lovely professional. I’m absolutely appalled by this."
"I don’t feel like these trials without due process are entirely appropriate," she added. "I feel that it’s appropriate that people have to take responsibility for the actions, but I do feel that some due process is in order. There’s a range of activities. And you can’t charge somebody with a felony over a misdemeanor. There has to be a balance here where this has to be heard in a rational format. So, this isn’t just black and white. And it can’t be that every man who doesn’t know what the f**k he’s doing in life is a criminal. Because a lot of men are just stupid."
Stone continued on, explaining her own experiences with men who, according to her, just don't know what they are doing.
"You go out with them, they bring you home for a goodnight kiss and they grab your hand and put it on their penis. A 50-year-old man," she said. "I don’t think they’re trying to sexually harass me, I think they’re just incredibly stupid and awkward. Like, really? That’s your move? Please don’t ever call me again, because you’re too stupid to date. I don’t think I should ruin your whole life over that, but I just think you’re incredibly stupid.”
As ET previously reported, an article in the Los Angeles Times was published on Jan. 11 that detailed the accounts of five women accusing Franco of abuse of power and inappropriate behavior, which he denied during appearances on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and Late Night With Seth Meyers. Additionally, a source close to Franco disputed that number at the time, adding that the accusations against the actor were "false."
The Deuce co-creator and executive producer David Simon said in a statement following the publication of the report that HBO had not received any complaints against Franco.
“I’m still reading it the same as everyone else, trying to discern what is or isn’t there,” Simon told Variety at the time. “Personally I can only speak knowledgeably to The Deuce. I’ve checked with all my fellow producers and other personnel. We have no complainant or complaint or any awareness of any incident of concern involving Mr. Franco. Nor has HBO been approached with any complaint. In our experience, he was entirely professional as an actor, director, and producer."
Speaking with Colbert after numerous allegations originally surfaced on Twitter, Franco said, "In my life, I pride myself on taking responsibility for things that I've done. I have to do that to maintain my well-being… I do it whenever I know that there's something wrong or needs to be changed. I make it a point to do it.”
"The things that I heard were on Twitter are not accurate, but I completely support people coming out and being able to have a voice, because they didn't have a voice for so long," he continued. "So I don't want to shut them down in any way. I think it's a good thing and I support it."
For more on the accusations against Franco, watch the video below.
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