James Franco was "a gentleman" with 17-year-old Insta fan

James Franco has been talking about the time he was caught allegedly flirting with a 17-year-old on Instagram.

Yes, we know he spoke about it a little while ago, but he has gone a little more into detail about the whole… situation.

If you're not au fait with what happened, Hollywood actor James Franco was reported to have initiated a meet-up with Scottish student Lucy Clode, whom he met at his Broadway show Of Mice and Men.

Speaking to Howard Stern, James Franco insisted that he was behaving like a "gentleman" when talking to Clode.

He said: "Here's the thing, the way that the news wants to do it, because the way flashy headlines [are], they make it like, I'm pursuing young women.

"I'm not going to high schools looking for dates. I'm leaving my work and they're coming there. I'm seeing attractive women. And look, my fan base is like, you know, 17-year-old to 30-year-old women - that's my biggest fan base."

He continued: "I was a gentleman, I said, 'Do you have a boyfriend?,' and her response was, 'Not when you're around'. So that to me sounds like, OK, she's interested."

Explaining the student's actions, he said: "Here's what I'll say in her defence - I don't think she posted it knowing what was gonna happen. I was like anybody, just trying to meet somebody. It's just that my dirty s**t gets put out internationally."

In the same interview, Franco described Lindsay Lohan as a "stalker" after they once made out.

In other James Franco news, late last night he shared a nearly-naked bathroom selfie with his social media followers, along with the caption: "#couldntsleep #tightywhities #sexyLOL"

It wasn't sexy. At all. And we're actually quite pleased he woke up and smelt the coffee and deleted the picture which had his hand down his pants.

*shudder*

Last week we brought you the news that James Franco flirted with a 17-year-old girl on Instagram.

Lucy Clode from Scotland, posted pictures of the actor outside a Broadway theatre after watching him perform Of Mice and Men.

The Hollywood star then sent messages to the teenager asking her age, if she had a boyfriend and where she was staying in New York.

Well, now he has spoken out about the incident. Speaking on US television, the 35-year-old James Franco said he used "bad judgement".

The actor appeared on Live With Kelly and Michael and said, "I learned my lesson".

He added: "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."

"When you meet in person you get a feel for them, you don't know who you're talking to," he added.

The star suggested being a celebrity could make meeting people more difficult.

"Unfortunately in my position, 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."

<p class="first-text"

data-textannotation-id="f220916ea942457272c623afadb553dd">James

Franco has become the subject of much internet speculation after it

was suggested he tried to hit on a teenage girl via

Instagram.

<p class="first-text"

data-textannotation-id="f220916ea942457272c623afadb553dd">

<p class="first-text"

data-textannotation-id="f220916ea942457272c623afadb553dd">The girl

in question, a Scottish 17-year-old named Lucy, was on a trip to

NYC as an early birthday present, and reportedly met Franco at his

Broadway show Of Mice and Men. She took an Instagram video

of him, and he said "You gotta tag me".

<p class="first-text"

data-textannotation-id="f220916ea942457272c623afadb553dd">

Apparently, she did, and the flirtation reportedly ensued via

messages and texts - which she then posted to Image sharing site

Imgur for the world to see.

<p class="first-text"

data-textannotation-id="f220916ea942457272c623afadb553dd">The

photos have since been taken down - but not before the whole

exchange was captured by various media sites, complete with

screengrabs. According to USA Today, the flirtation

supposedly went as follows:

"You're single? .. Should I rent a room?" he said.

To which she replied: "April fools was an hour ago though…"

After asking for his proof of identity several times, Lucy does eventually turn the star down, saying: "I'll come back when I'm 18".

After the scandal broke, Franco responded on his own Instagram account, writing "I HOPE PARENTS KEEP THEIR TEENS AWAY FROM ME. Thank you."

So did he hit on Lucy or not? Much speculation has hit the internet, but nothing has been officially confirmed - with one site even suggesting it was an elaborate ruse and a viral campaign for James Franco's new movie.

Interestingly, since then Lucy Clode's account has been deleted, and a trailer has been released for James Franco's new film - which is about a teacher hooking up with a teenage pupil. Hmmm...the plot thickens.

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