Busy Philipps Says Franco Is a 'Bully' Who Assaulted Her

James Franco is a "bully" who shoved her to the ground on the set of Freaks and Geeks, Busy Philipps writes in new memoir This Will Only Hurt a Little. In a leaked excerpt confirmed by the Hollywood Reporter, Philipps says Franco freaked out and broke character after she followed the script's direction to nudge his character in the chest. "He grabbed both my arms and screamed in my face, 'DON’T EVER TOUCH ME AGAIN!'" Philipps writes. "And he threw me to the ground. Flat on my back. Wind knocked out of me."

Philipps says everybody on the set of the 1999 sitcom was appalled by Franco's behavior, Yahoo reports. She says her co-star apologized to her the next day, having been ordered to do so by the episode's director and producers, but he was never punished. Franco, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by five women, has yet to respond to the latest allegations. The Reporter notes that in her book, which is due out Oct. 16, Philipps also describes her experience of being raped when she was 14 years old. She decided to share the story for the first time last week soon after Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about her alleged assault by Brett Kavanaugh. (More Busy Philipps stories.)