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Busy Philipps Accuses James Franco Of Assault On Set Of 'Freaks And Geeks'

HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA) – Actress Busy Philipps, in her new memoir, has accused Oscar-nominated actor James Franco of assaulting her on the set of the 1999 series "Freaks and Geeks."

Philipps made the allegations in her upcoming book "This Will Only Hurt a Little," an excerpt of which was obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.

Busy Philipps
FILE -- Actress Busy Philipps attends The Comedy Central Roast of James Franco at Culver Studios on Aug. 25, 2013 in Culver City, Calif. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

In the excerpt, Philipps wrote that a scene on the show required her character, Kim, to gently nudge Franco's character, Daniel, in the chest. She says that gesture prompted Franco to get upset and throw her to the ground.

"He grabbed both my arms and screamed in my face, 'DON'T EVER TOUCH ME AGAIN!'" Philipps wrote in the book, according to THR. "And he threw me to the ground. Flat on my back. Wind knocked out of me."

Philipps says Franco apologized to her the following day, but only after he was asked to do so by the director and the series producers. However, she says he was never punished. In the book she called him a "f----- bully."

"It wasn't even outrageous," Philipps told THR in an interview this week. "At the time, 19 and with my first professional acting job, I was under the impression that this was just the way things were."

Philipps told THR she and Franco have since discussed the event. She said he offered her a second apology.

"James and I have talked about it over the years. At one point he apologized to me," she said. "I was always acutely aware of my expendability, and so I felt I needed to never complain, always show up on time and not be difficult."

In January, five women came forward and accused Franco of sexual misconduct in a piece in the Los Angeles Times.

The popular cult show "Freaks and Geeks" was created by Paul Feig and ran for only one season before being canceled. Along with Franco and Philipps, it helped launch the careers of several notable actors, including Seth Rogen and Jason Segel.

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