James Franco Says Gay-Themed Films Got Him Dropped From Multiple Ad Campaigns

James Franco Allegedly Dumped From Multiple Ad Campaigns For Gay Films

Actor James Franco might be a big name in young Hollywood, but he hasn't fallen victim to the darker side of the entertainment business.

Gay.net caught up with the "Spring Breakers" star at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, where Franco was attending a screening of the Harmony Korine-directed flick, and talked about how his participation in gay-themed Sundance films got him cut from multiple ad campaigns.

"I've lost three kind of advertising campaigns now because the companies say they don't like my image, but I know that it's directly related to the films that I put out at Sundance," Franco said, according to Queerty. "So you could say that there’s still this kind of homophobia or prejudice against certain kinds of material in mainstream cinema.”

Franco previously discussed how his gay-centric films have cost him endorsement deals. Speaking with Attitude for the magazine's April issue, he said:

It is a risk. I was supposed to do a commercial with this company and they pulled out because they weren’t happy, they didn’t like the subject matter of my films at Sundance. If I’m at the threshold of doing a project and the question comes up, "Will this be harmful to your career?", I never want that to be the deciding factor.

The 34-year-old filmmaker was the producer and director behind Sundance films "Kink" and "Interior. Leather Bar," respectively. "Kink" is about Kink.com, the world's largest producer of BDSM porn, while "Interior. Leather Bar" is a reimagining of a gay sex scene cut from the 1980 film "Cruising."

Franco is set to appear at the 15th Annual Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, starting April 26, where he will receive an Ally Award and screen "Interior. Leather Bar," according to the Miami Herald.

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