Seth Rogen breaks his silence after former pal James Franco calls their friendship over

Seth Rogen has made it clear that he isn't paying much attention to comments made by his former friend and collaborator, James Franco.

The Long Shot actor, 42, publicly cut off his Pineapple Express co-star, 46, after James was accused and sued by his students over behaving inappropriately and sexually towards them.

Years after Seth publicly announced he had distanced himself from the disgraced star, James went on to confirm that the friendship was officially 'over.'

Now Seth has admitted he wasn't even aware of his former friend's comment, telling Esquire in a new interview: 'Honestly, I absorb so little media that it really wasn't on my radar.' 

The Esquire writer then noted: 'That is all he wants to say about that.' 

Over the course of their friendship, James and Seth had starred in a number of projects together, including the NBC Cult classic Freaks and Geeks.

They also appeared in films such as Pineapple Express, This Is the End, The Disaster Artist, and The Interview.

Speaking again about the rift in October last year, James told Variety: 'I haven't talked to Seth. I love Seth, we had 20 great years together, but I guess it's over. 

'And not for lack of trying. I've told him how much he's meant to me.'

In January of 2018, five women told the Los Angeles Times that James had been sexually inappropriate or exploitative with them.

One detailed how James removed plastic guards from actress' vulvas during a sex scene while simulating oral sex.

Two of the women, Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal, sued James in 2019, claimed that he tried to 'create a pipeline of young women who were subjected to his personal and professional sexual exploitation in the name of education' while they attended his Studio 4 acting school.

At the time, James denied the allegations via his attorney. He eventually settled the lawsuit for $2.2 million in July 2021.

Initially, when the allegations came out in 2018, Seth told Vulture that he would continue to work with James.

But in May 2021, he publicly revised his position, telling Britain's Sunday Times that he would not.

'What I can say is that I despise abuse and harassment and I would never cover or conceal the actions of someone doing it, or knowingly put someone in a situation where they were around someone like that,' Seth told the publication.

He added that it was 'not a coincidence' he hasn't worked with Franco in recent years, as he faced sexual misconduct accusations in 2014 and again in 2018. 

That December, James said it was 'hurtful' that Seth had 'no plans to work with him in the future.'

Speaking on the SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Podcast, James said: 'Of course it was hurtful, you know, in context, but I get it, you know, he had to answer for me cause I was silent. He had to answer for me, and I don't want that. 

'And so that's why, it's one of the main reasons I wanted to talk to you today is I just, I don't want Seth or my brother or anyone to have to answer for me anymore.'

The star blamed his past infidelities and inappropriate behavior on sex addiction, which he turned to after quitting alcohol as a teen. 

James insisted he has been in sex addiction recovery since 2016 and has 'been doing a lot of work' to change.