Vanessa Hudgens defends former co-star James Franco over sexual allegations

Vanessa Hudgens at Eyegore Awards at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California back in 2014 Reuters/ Mario Anzuoni

American singer and actress Vanessa Hudgens came to James Franco's defense after the latter was accused of sexual misconduct. Hudgens, who co-starred with Franco in the 2012 crime film "Spring Breakers," said Franco supports the movement to stop sexual harassment in the entertainment industry and that he is "very respectful."

Golden Globe recipient James Franco at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015 Reuters/ Jim Urquhart

Franco came under fire after being accused of sexual harassment by five women after his big Golden Globe win. Franco won the Golden Globe for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role as Tommy Wiseau in "The Disaster Artist" and he took the stage with a "Time's Up" pin. Franco's accusers then came forward to share their bad experience with Franco.

Franco denied the allegations, saying they "are not accurate," during his recent appearance on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert."

Hudgens supported her co-star's statement amid the sexual misconduct accusations. In an interview with InStyle, Hudgens said, "I support what he said. He's saying that the allegations are false but he supports all the women speaking up because they didn't have a voice before, and the fact that they do now is an amazing thing. He supports that."

Hudgens said she had an amazing experience working with the actor. "I just know I loved working with him. He was always very respectful," Hudgens shared.

Franco is still facing backlash over the allegations. Most recently, Vanity Fair edited him out from its February cover. The magazine released a statement to address the issue, saying, "We made a decision not to include James Franco on the Hollywood cover once we learned of the misconduct allegations against him."

An Entertainment Tonight source said Vanity Fair's decision to edit him out felt like a "kick to the gut" for Franco.

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