James Franco accused in lawsuit of sexually exploiting women at his acting school

James Franco has been accused by two women for sexually exploiting them at his his now-defunct acting school.

According to New York Times, the lawsuit filed on Thursday alleges that Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal were pressured by the school into uncomfortable activities during auditions and promised acting opportunities that did not materialise.

The Oscar-nominated star of "127 Hours" was behind a school called Studio 4, which had branches in New York and Los Angeles.

Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal were enrolled in the LA program and paid a monthly tuition of USD 300.

There were also special masterclasses, including a USD 750 class for sex scenes.

The lawsuit claims that students had to audition for the class on tape so Franco could review the footage. Students were also allegedly asked to sign away their rights to the recordings.

These actions, the suit says, "led to an environment of harassment and sexual exploitation both in and out of the class."