James Franco, 46, and girlfriend Izabel Pakzad, 28, make a rare appearance at the 16th Lumiere Film Festival in France

James Franco, 46, and his much younger girlfriend Izabel Pakzad, 28, made an appearance at the 16th Lumiere Film Festival in Lyon, France on Friday.

The long-term couple, who have been together since 2017 when Izabel was 21 and James, 39, looked like they were having a blast on the red carpet.

Franco said something that made Izabel break out into a big bright smile.

For the occasion, the Pineapple Express star wor a gray sweater with a black design with olive green pants.

Izabel looked gorgeous in a short-sleeved black blazer and black jeans with thigh-high cutouts.

James Franco, 46, and his much younger girlfriend Izabel Pakzad, 28, made an appearance at the 16th Lumiere Film Festival in Lyon, France.

The couple have been together since November 2017, but became red carpet official in 2018.

Franco has largely stayed out of the public eye for the past decade following allegations of sexual misconduct.

In 2019, he was accused and sued by five students who attended his film school, Studio 4, for behaving inappropriately with them.

One student in particular accused him of sexual misconduct and claimed he forced her to perform oral sex.

At the time, Franco denied the allegations through his attorney and eventually settled the lawsuit.

He is also, according to him, a recovering sex addict who has never been faithful to any woman before Izabel.

‘I had girlfriends. I could never be faithful to anyone. I cheated on everyone before Izabel,” Franco said on Jess Cagle’s podcast in 2021.

Izabel is an actor and director who studied at Penn State University and the University of Southern California.

He has most notably appeared in 2020’s Birds of Prey and the 2019 TV series Baker’s Dozen.

The long-term couple, who have been together since 2017 when Izabel was 21 and James, 39, looked like they were having a blast on the red carpet.

Franco said something that made Izabel break out into a big bright smile

For the occasion, the Pineapple Express star wore a gray jumper with a black design with olive green trousers.

Izabel looked cute in a double-breasted short-sleeved jacket with black jeans with thigh-high cutouts

When Franco met Izabel, she wasn’t an actress and he was specifically looking to date someone who wasn’t an actress.

“She wasn’t an actress when I met her,” Franco explained on the podcast. “I wrote a list of everything I was (in a relationship) and it wasn’t essential, but I said, ‘It would be nice if it wasn’t an actress.’

Franco said he didn’t find out Pakzad was taking an acting class until they had already gone on a few dates.

“It turned out great because we share all these interests and she’s directing now,” he said. I am very lucky.