Honestly, Hollywood relationships usually have the shelf life of a carton of milk. You see a couple on a red carpet in June, and by August, there’s a "we’ve decided to remain friends" statement on Instagram. But James Franco and Isabel Pakzad are different. They’ve been together since 2017. That is nearly a decade. In "actor years," that’s basically a lifetime.
People love to talk about the age gap. He’s 47, and she’s 29. It’s a 18-year difference that usually gets the internet’s collective eyebrows raised. But if you look past the birth dates, there is a much weirder, more resilient story here. It’s a story about staying together through a total career meltdown, a public reckoning, and a pivot from A-list stardom to the indie fringe.
Why the James Franco and Isabel Pakzad Connection Lasted
When they first met, Isabel Pakzad was a grad student at USC. She wasn’t a "starlet" looking for a break. In fact, James has gone on record saying he didn’t even know she wanted to be in the industry when they started dating. He was at the height of his The Disaster Artist fame. Then, the 2018 allegations hit.
Most people expected her to bail. That’s the script, right? The young girlfriend leaves when the PR gets too heavy. But she didn’t. She stayed through the lawsuits, the $2.2 million settlement in 2021, and the years where Franco was basically persona non grata in big-budget Hollywood.
👉 See also: Lady Gaga Craziest Clothes: Why We Still Can’t Stop Talking About Her Fashion Evolution
A Shift in Power Dynamics
Early on, she was "James Franco’s girlfriend." Now? She’s a filmmaker in her own right. In late 2025, she premiered her directorial debut, Find Your Friends, at the Torino Film Festival. It’s a thriller starring Helena Howard and Bella Thorne.
What’s interesting is how they show up for each other now. At the Torino premiere, James wasn't the center of attention. He was the "plus one" in a navy sweatsuit and a grey coat, looking like a proud, slightly scruffy stage dad while she took the mic.
The Career Pivot of 2026
If you’re looking for James Franco in a Marvel movie or a Seth Rogen comedy, you’re going to be looking for a long time. That version of his career is effectively over. Instead, the James Franco and Isabel Pakzad era is defined by European film festivals and gritty indies.
- The French Connection: They are regulars at Cannes and the Lumière Film Festival in Lyon.
- Indie Hustle: James is currently attached to projects like Love Meets in the Sunshine, a road-trip comedy where he plays a terminally ill man.
- The "Canceled" Reality: He isn't gone; he’s just moved to a different neighborhood. He’s working in Italy, France, and on lower-budget US sets like the upcoming The Razor’s Edge.
It's a bizarre sort of exile. He’s still a "name," but the stakes are lower. And Isabel is right there, often acting as a creative partner.
Are They Engaged?
This is the question that hits Google every six months. In 2019, sources said they were "talking about engagement." In 2022, they were "in no rush." Here we are in early 2026, and there’s still no ring on that finger.
They seem to prefer the "long-term partner" lane. They’ve survived things that break married couples. They lived through his self-admitted sex addiction recovery and the fallout of his acting school, Studio 4. Maybe they figure a marriage certificate wouldn't actually change anything at this point.
What People Miss
The common narrative is that Isabel is a "victim" of a lopsided relationship or that James is "using" her for a PR makeover. But if you watch her interviews for Find Your Friends, she doesn't sound like someone living in a shadow. She sounds like a director who knows exactly what she’s doing. She’s used the stability of a long-term relationship to build a career that doesn't rely on her boyfriend's casting couch.
What’s Next for the Couple?
If you want to follow the James Franco and Isabel Pakzad trajectory, stop looking at TMZ and start looking at the credits of international film festivals.
- Watch for Pakzad's next move: Find Your Friends is getting decent buzz in the thriller circuit. She’s likely to stay behind the camera.
- Franco’s "New Normal": Expect more "villain" roles in European action movies (like his turn in Largo Winch) and fewer leading man roles in domestic blockbusters.
- Public Life: They’ve mastered the art of the "rare appearance." They’ll pop up in Mykonos or St. Tropez, look incredibly fit and tan, and then disappear back into their private life for three months.
The reality is that they’ve built a fortress. It might be a controversial fortress, but it’s standing. Whether you like him or not, the relationship itself is a study in loyalty that defies the usual Hollywood gossip cycles.
To keep up with their creative output, look for the release of Find Your Friends on streaming platforms later this year, as it's currently making the rounds at specialty distributors. If you're tracking James's return, his work in the Italian production Me, You is the one to watch for a glimpse of his current acting range.