Busy Philipps says James Franco assaulted her while filming Freaks and Geeks

In her new memoir This Will Only Hurt a Little, actress Busy Philipps says her Freaks and Geeks co-star James Franco physically assaulted her while they were filming a scene.

The book is out Oct. 16, and Yahoo Entertainment reports that in it, Philipps writes that Franco was a "f—ing bully" on the set. Philipps says she was directed to gently hit Franco on the chest while delivering a line, which set him off. "He grabbed both my arms and screamed in my face, 'DON'T EVER TOUCH ME AGAIN!'" she said. "And he threw me to the ground. Flat on my back. Wind knocked out of me."

Philipps said the cast and crew members who saw this were shocked, and co-star Linda Cardellini told her to call her manager. Franco apologized the next day, but Philipps said it was only because he was told to by producers, and he was not reprimanded. Over the last year, Franco has been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct, and denies the allegations. He did not respond to Yahoo's request for comment.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up