Are James Franco & Lana Del Rey Dating?

I'm going to be straight with you guys. I don't spend a whole lot of time contemplating James Franco's love life. Mostly because what little I do know of the actors love life includes that time Franco tried to pick up a teenager (a sick joke? a weird promotion for his upcoming film? a dark chapter in everyone's history?) and that time Franco wrote a short story about not having sex with Lindsay Lohan. Basically, if we're talking favorite Francos then mine is definitely Dave rather than James — but even I have to wonder if James Franco and Lana Del Rey are dating. I mean, the actor has joked about marrying Del Rey in the past and I could definitely see them as the most bizarre power couple in the world, but they've both stated repeatedly that they are just friends. So — I mean, have they at least hooked up?

"No, she's a friend of mine... We're friends," Franco said in response to this very question on The Howard Stern Show on Monday. "I'll tell you why [we've never hooked up], maybe it's a boring answer. There's a weird thing with creative types. Sometimes I love a person's work and, like, I'm just so enamored with that and their persona in their work. But outside of that, it's like, our dynamic is we're just kind of friends, we get along so well. But all this sexual attraction is for the person and the work."

What is that supposed to mean? Well, apparently, Franco "would have sex with her music," but Del Rey herself is out of luck if she wants anything more from the actor. To be honest, that's kind of a relief. No, not because I think our society spends too much time trying to sexualize platonic relationships and why can't men and women just be friends? (As a frequent 'shipper of both fictional and celebrity couples, I find that argument condescending.) It's more accurate to say that I believe that celebrity couples don't last anywhere near as long in Hollywood as celebrity friendships do and I'm too enamored by Del Rey and Franco's relationship as is to risk those two weirdos never speaking to each other again after the inevitable break up.

Plus, according to Franco, they spend most of their time going to Coney Island and just hanging out, which is already the cutest thing I've ever heard of. They don't need to kiss. A Franco-Del Rey union would be amazing if it happened, and, to be honest, they are already starting to sound like each other, but their bizarre friendship officially has my stamp of approval to remain a bizarre friendship. At least now we know that if there are any ladies out there who are looking to attract the oldest Franco brother, all they have to do is embody the lyrics of Lana Del Rey.

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