James Franco, the 48-year-old former actor, has returned to social media with a series of bizarre TikTok videos in which he claims an alien is living in his garage. Since the beginning of June, Franco has been posting regularly, often appearing in a torn blue t-shirt that viewers believe may be a clue to an underlying narrative.
Franco's Alien Claims and Erratic Behavior
In his first video, Franco insisted he was 'not AI' and not promoting any projects, stating: 'I can't say too much right now. But stick around and I promise it will all make sense.' He urged followers to stay tuned, then posted a second video in the same t-shirt, which had two strips of tape and the words 'bruce robin' written on it. 'I know how this looks, this dude's like 48-years old, like get in on this internet game,' he said, appearing stressed.
Franco, who claimed he was being watched, continued: 'That's not what's going on. I don't know what to do. Whenever I go and tell people, they just tell me I'm crazy or whatever. They tell me to shut up and I don't wanna shut up. I want this to come out because I don't want this to be on me alone. If I bring it to the world maybe y'all will help me figure this situation out. I won't be alone.' The video was spliced with clips of him saying things were 'crazy', complete with sound effects, as he suggested he might be sectioned for speaking out.
No Evidence and Viewer Skepticism
It took around eight videos over several days for Franco to reveal he believed he had seen an 'alien'. Despite repeatedly saying he would go out to the garage and 'show' viewers the creature, no video evidence materialized. In another clip, which viewers criticized as 'staged', he said he had a 'wellness check' as two men arrived at his house, and he tried to convince them it 'wasn't a bit'. Later, he posted a scribbled message '7-13' on a ripped piece of cardboard, which viewers interpreted as a promise to share information on July 13. A subsequent video claimed to be a hacker telling him to 'stop and delete the account', which many said sounded suspiciously like Franco putting on a voice.
The saga has left many viewers frustrated. One commenter, AJ, wrote: 'James you said it's not a movie', to which Franco replied: 'It's not'. Another anonymous account said: 'James pls. We are all very tired', while Perla A232 added: 'This is pure ACTING.'
Speculation About a Film Promotion
Many suspect Franco's antics are promotion for a new film called Love Meets in the Sunshine, which is one of the only accounts Franco's page follows, despite his denials. The film's director, Christian Guiton, pushed back against this speculation, saying: 'It's not a science fiction movie. It's not a conspiracy movie. If I were promoting Sunshine, this is not how we would do it.' Franco's character in the film plays a terminally ill man on a road trip with a grumpy drifter, with no apparent link to his alien claims. Currently, Love Meets in the Sunshine has no release date, leaving viewers confused about Franco's mental health.
Background: Franco's Fall from Hollywood
Franco stepped away from the spotlight after facing allegations of sexual misconduct in 2018 during the Me Too movement, which he denied. His last acting roles were in 2019. In 2019, students at Studio 4, his now-closed film and acting school, sued Franco and his partners for allegedly 'engaging in widespread inappropriate and sexually charged behaviour towards female students by sexualising their power as a teacher and an employer by dangling the opportunity for roles in their projects'. In 2020, Franco alleged the pair were 'attention-hungry' and made 'false and inflammatory' claims for publicity. He later agreed to a settlement and reportedly paid $2.2 million (£1.6 million) to resolve the lawsuit but denied the allegations. Even former close friend Seth Rogen has said he would not work with Franco again.
