James Franco has resurfaced on social media after years of a low profile following 2018 sexual misconduct allegations, using a new TikTok account to build weeks of cryptic hype around footage he claimed showed an alien encounter at his property. The saga generated significant online speculation, with fans debating whether it was a genuine paranormal claim, a marketing stunt for an upcoming film, or simply an attention-grabbing gimmick from an actor with a troubled public image.

Franco began posting on 3 June, insisting the account was really him, and over subsequent weeks appeared increasingly frantic, claiming he was being watched, that his account had been hacked, and that unnamed parties wanted him to stay silent. He repeatedly teased a reveal date of 13 July, when he finally posted black-and-white clips appearing to show an alien-like figure near his house. The footage was widely mocked online as unconvincing, with commenters calling it "clearly fake" and expressing frustration at the drawn-out build-up; further clips are reportedly only available to paid subscribers of his account.