After James Franco's Instagram conversation with a 17-year-old went viral, rumors swirled that the whole thing was a publicity stunt to promote Franco's new film "Palo Alto," which is screening at the Tribeca Film Festival.
When Franco's co-star Emma Roberts and director Gia Coppola joined HuffPost Live's Josh Zepps to discuss "Palo Alto," neither woman was keen on talking about the Instagram incident.
"I honestly didn't read any of it. When people sent it to me, I was like, 'I don't want to read about this.' It's irrelevant," Roberts said.
Coppola added that she has not spoken to Franco about the matter and said only that he is "such a great, giving guy."
Roberts was more open about her relationship with Franco on film. Roberts plays a virginal high school student who develops a flirtatious relationship with her soccer coach, portrayed by Franco. Despite some critics labeling the characters' relationship as "too creepy to be hot," Roberts said the age difference never felt gratuitous.
"And I think also because I wasn't really 15 or 16, I think that kind of lightened the mood with shooting those scenes. I was 21, so it wasn't like anything bad was actually happening," Roberts added.
Watch the full HuffPost Live conversation about "Palo Alto" below.
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