James Franco joined the star-studded crowd at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in France on Tuesday, seven years after his Hollywood career was derailed following sexual misconduct allegations.
Red Carpet Appearance
The actor, 48, was accompanied by his younger girlfriend Izabel Pakzad, 30, on the red carpet for the opening night screening of The Electric Kiss. Franco, known for his role as Spider-Man, wore a classic black suit paired with a bowtie and black sunglasses. Meanwhile, Pakzad cut a stylish figure in a long silk black dress with a leg slit, accessorized with a chunky necklace and a silver Spinelli Kilcollin ring.
The former USC professor and the actress, who starred in the third season of Franco's HBO series The Deuce, have been dating since 2017. This marks Franco's third consecutive year at the famed festival, following appearances in 2024 and 2025, with previous visits in 2013 and 2015.
Interaction with Fans
Franco took selfies with fans and was spotted chatting with Diego Luna before the screening, according to Variety.
Background of Scandal
Franco's return to the event comes after he vanished from the limelight in 2019, following explosive allegations from five women. He was accused and sued by five students who attended his film school, Studio 4, for behaving inappropriately and sexually towards them, with one accusing him of forcing her to perform oral sex. Franco's attorney denied the allegations at the time, and he eventually settled the suit.
In a previous interview on The Jess Cagle Podcast with Julia Cunningham, Franco reiterated his belief that any sexual contact between him and his students had been consensual. 'Over the course of my teaching, I did sleep with students, and that was wrong,' he said. He also claimed he could 'never be faithful to anybody' before meeting Pakzad.
Blame on Sex Addiction
Franco blamed his past infidelities and inappropriate behavior on sex addiction, which he turned to after quitting alcohol as a teen. 'It's such a powerful drug,' he explained. 'I got hooked on it for 20 more years. The insidious part of that is that I stayed sober from alcohol all that time. And I went to meetings all that time. I even tried to sponsor other people. So in my head, it was like, "Oh, I'm sober. I'm living a spiritual life," where on the side, I'm acting out now in all these other ways, and I couldn't see it.'
The scandal also cost him his friendship with Pineapple Express co-star Seth Rogen, who publicly cut him off following the allegations.
Career Comeback
Having previously played leading roles in Spider-Man, Pineapple Express, and 127 Hours, Franco was once a regular at Hollywood parties. In 2024, he said he was a changed man, stating that the scandal caused him to reconsider his priorities. 'Being told you're bad is painful,' he told Variety. 'But ultimately, that's kind of what I needed to just stop going the way I was going. Whatever had been going on with me before, I had to change my whole way of life. So I am proud of the kind of work I did during that time. And yeah, I wasn't working in movies, but I certainly was doing a lot of work to change who I was.'
He added, 'I don't want it to sound like platitudes, but honestly, this is my experience. Sometimes life delivers things to you, and the delivery system is so painful. It really hurts. But ultimately, from the big picture that I'm talking about, maybe it's for the best. Who am I to say?'
Recent and Upcoming Projects
The embattled star has since tried to repair his career, laying low while continuing to take on minor roles. He most recently starred in the 2025 thriller Bunny-Man, directed by Alessandra Starr Ward. He is also set to play former Cuban President Fidel Castro in Miguel Bardem's upcoming biopic Castro's Daughter, which is currently in post-production.
