James Franco, the 48-year-old former actor, has released a bizarre video claiming an alien is living in his garage, prompting viewers to question his mental state. The clip, posted on TikTok, shows Franco solemnly playing black-and-white footage of a humanoid figure with large eyes and no hair, which he says he found on his property.
Franco's Erratic Social Media Posts
Nearly a month after his first erratic posts on social media, Franco finally revealed what he called the 'alien' in his garage. In earlier TikToks, wearing a bedraggled blue t-shirt, he ranted about being 'silenced' and promised to reveal all on July 13. When the day came, he opened his laptop on camera to show the alleged alien running around his garden and peeking through his windows.
'I promised you, I was going to reveal something because I found something,' the Freaks and Geeks actor said. 'It was thrust upon me, I didn't ask for this. Now, I've been through a lot. I went on social media, I started talking about it. I didn't wanna do that. I didn't choose this.' He continued: 'I saw something and I thought, I can't keep this quiet. People have said I'm crazy.'
Viewers React: 'Lost His Marbles'
The video has drawn widespread mockery. Viewers on X and TikTok declared Franco had 'lost his marbles.' Mariateam on X wrote: 'He lost the marbles long time ago.' Damien commented on TikTok: 'Lol keeping a straight face is pretty impressive.' Tingtong said: 'Franco has lost his marbles.' Others suggested he was promoting a movie. Larryshair added: 'Nice costume, James.' Even Jersey Shore star Snooki weighed in, writing 'stop' with an unamused side eye emoji, which gained over 3,500 likes.
Franco claimed his account had been 'hacked twice' in an attempt to 'shut him down,' delivering his ramble completely straight-faced. After playing the clips, he closed the computer and declared: 'Okay. 'Nuff said.'
Alien Saga Linked to Possible Film Promotion?
Many suspect this alien saga is promotion for a new film called Love Meets in the Sunshine, one of the only accounts Franco's page follows, despite his denials. He has insisted that this is 'not' a new project, having attempted a career comeback a few years ago. 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 who embarks on a road trip with a grumpy drifter, with no apparent link to his alien assertions. Currently, Love Meets in the Sunshine has no release date.
Franco's Fall from Hollywood Grace
Franco was shunned from Hollywood after being accused of sexual misconduct during the Me Too movement, which he denied. He attempted a comeback four years ago, but even his close friend and frequent collaborator Seth Rogen has said he wouldn't work with him again. 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.' He later agreed to a settlement and reportedly agreed to pay $2.2 million (£1.6 million) to resolve the lawsuit but denied the allegations, calling the accusers 'attention hungry.'
Franco has been largely dropped from the spotlight since. Many are still confused about the state of his mental health, with some viewers convinced the alien video is a publicity stunt, while others believe he has genuinely 'lost his mind.'
