'Should I rent a hotel room?' James Franco, 35, 'hits on British teenager, 17, on Instagram and in series of texts'

Teenager Lucy Clode, is from Dollar in Clackmannanshire, Scotland



She claims to have met Broadway star after waiting for him following play

Messages allegedly from Franco ask her age and if she has a boyfriend

When she write that she's staying in hotel he asks 'Should I rent a room?'



For a studious, well-behaved private schoolgirl looking forward to a milestone coming-of-age, it was the perfect early 18th birthday present.

And Lucy Clode, 17, was undoubtedly looking forward to the trip to New York with her mum Carolyn - presumably to hit the shops, see the sights and maybe even take in a show.

What probably wasn’t in her plans was an unexpected online flirting session with a Hollywood superstar almost twice her age.

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What's going on here?: Schoolgirl Lucy Clode, 17, has claimed James Franco tried to meet up with her in a series of Instagram and text messages

Striking up conversation: James allegedly started chatting to Lucy after meeting her outside the the theatre where he was performing Of Mice And Men on Broadway

Not wasting any time: The actor appears to start asking Lucy how old she is and whether she has a boyfriend

Unluckily for A-list actor James Franco, Miss Clode offered him nothing but a gentle knockback – because she was on holiday with her mum.

In the Big Apple this week, the excited Scottish teenager spotted Franco outside the stage door of the Broadway production in which he is starring at the moment.

Miss Clode, who attends prestigious independent school Dollar Academy in Clackmannanshire, reached for her mobile and took some pictures of the James Dean and Spiderman star, and then - as teenagers are wont to do – she turned the lens on herself and took some ‘selfies’ with the 35-year-old box office hit in the background.

It is understood that Franco spotted Miss Clode taking the photos and shouted to her that she should put the photographs on the online picture-sharing site Instagram and ‘tag’ him so he would be alerted to them.

According to Hollywood gossip websites, the pair later started an internet conversation that led to the now-famous rejection.

In what appear to be screenshots from Instagram, Franco works fast to establish where Miss Clode is from and how long she will be in New York.

He then seems to fire off three questions in quick succession: ‘You’re 18?’ ‘Who are you with?’ and ‘Do you have a bf (boyfriend)?’



Making a move: The alleged messages show James asking Lucy if he should 'rent a room' in her hotel and attempts to convince her it is really him

'Don't tell': The teen asks the star to send her a photo of himself holding a piece of paper with her name on, which he apparently does

Miss Clode replies: ‘Nearly 18, my mum and not if you’re around.’

Franco then asks exactly when her birthday is and where she is staying in New York.

The conversation then appeared to switch to text message, and Franco asks ‘Can I see you? You’re single? What’s the hotel? Should I rent a room?’

When Miss Clode, from Dollar, voices concerns the conversation could be an April Fool by an imposter, Franco posts a picture of himself to prove it is genuine.

The sensible teen then decides: ‘I’ll come back when I’m 18.’

Franco responds: ‘If you don’t want to meet text me when you do.’

The screenshots of the conversation have taken Twitter and US gossip sites by storm – although it is unclear whether they are genuine or not, and fans claimed they could just be a publicity stunt.

It is worth noting that Franco’s next film is the story of a high school teacher who is dating one of his pupils – and several eagle-eyed online commentators last night floated the suggestion that the exchange with Miss Clode could be a sophisticated joke.

One man who has come out of the story very well is Miss Clode’s boyfriend Brodie Dickson – an 18-year-old fellow Dollar Academy pupil who seemed pleased to have beaten Franco in the love stakes.

During a conversation with a friend posted on Instagram, Miss Clode said: 'James Franco asked me to meet him alone Romy! It was really him and I rejected him!! [what] am I doing?!'

'Why are you thirsty for underage ones?': James tweeted this after the news broke but later deleted it

Meeting: Lucy Clode (above) shared this video on Instagram with James in the background following a March 2014 performance

She then added: 'I am going to regret this for years - it's given me a confidence boost though lol.'

The friend named Romy then said: '"Damn strait [sic] it should also give @dbrodieb a f****** huge confidence boost that you'd say no to James Franco for him hahaha that is true love.

@dbrodieb who appears to be Lucy's boyfriend, said: 'I'm on top of the world Romy!'

Another woman of the Clode family – Miss Clode’s grandmother Beryl Sussex – seemed equally unimpressed with Franco.

What controversy?: James ignored the claims on Thursday and instead boasted that he now has 1.6million Instagram followers

Publicity stunt?: Lucy shared this photo in Times Square on Instagram. James' alleged actions could be to promote his new movie Palo Alto, in which he plays a soccer coach who seduces his 14-year-old babysitter