Addressing the controversy, the 'Palo Alto' star uncomfortably admitted that he was 'embarrassed' by the leak.
- Apr 5, 2014
AceShowbiz - James Franco appeared on "Live! With Kelly and Michael" on Friday, April 4 to address the recent controversy involving him and a 17-year-old girl. The actor apologized for trying to pick up the teen through Instagram earlier this week, saying he's "embarrassed."
"I was feeling awkward. I didn't want to come on the show and just feel awkward," Franco said. "I'm embarrassed, and I guess I'm just a model of how social media is tricky. It's the way that people meet each other today, but what I've learned, I guess because I'm new to it, is you don't know who's on the other end."
Franco's private conversation with the Scottish teen named Lucy Clode was exposed online. He tried to convince her to meet him in a hotel room after finding out that she was a few days shy of her 18th birthday.
Franco told Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan, "You get a feel for them, you don't know who you're talking to. I used bad judgment and I learned my lesson." He continued, "Unfortunately in my position, I mean...I have a very good life, not only do I have to go through the embarrassing rituals of meeting someone, but if I do that, then it gets published for the world so it's doubly embarrassing."
Ripa noticed that Franco was uncomfortable in discussing the issue and said, "I think the way you came out here and handled it is perfectly acceptable. It happens to everybody. And I think it happens to movie stars on a much grander scale, like you just said, because everybody knows who you are." She then lightened the mood, saying, "I promise I will not reveal our text messages to the world." Franco replied, "I was sending some good ones backstage."
