Of Mice And Men actor James Franco came clean on ABC's Live with Kelly and Michael about the scandal regarding his leaked Instagram conversation with 17-year-old Scottish tourist Lucy Clode.

"Uh, you know I'm embarrassed and I guess I'm just a model of how social media is tricky," Franco admitted to Live! hosts Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan. "But what I've learned, I guess just 'cause I'm new to it, is like, you don't know who's on the other end -- you meet somebody in person and you get a feel for 'em but you don't know who you're talking to. So I used bad judgment and I learned my lesson."

Franco also added, "Unfortunately, in my position -- I mean, I have a very good life -- but not only do I have to go through the embarrassing kind of rituals of meeting someone, sometimes if I do that, then it gets, you know, published for the world, so now it's like, doubly embarrassing."

Franco's online flirting with Clode began when the underage teen met him outside the stage door of the Broadway show Of Mice and Men, which Franco currently stars in alongside Chris O' Dowd and Leighton Meester.

Clode was on a trip to New York City with her mother and went to go see the show as part of her pre-birthday present, as revealed in later conversation between Franco and Clode on Instagram. Clode revealed that she would be turning 18 in May.

In the leaked conversation that went viral on Wednesday, Franco asks Clode for her age and later asks if he should rent a room so the two can spend the night together.

Clode agrees under one condition. "I will meet you if you write my name on a piece of paper then send it to me with your face also in the picture, please."

The actor obliged Clode's request and sent her the picture.

Check out E! News' full transcription of the steamy convo here.

Though Franco has since apologized, reports speculate that the leaked messages may have been a publicity stunt to promote the upcoming film Palo Alto that stars James Franco as a football coach romancing an underage girl played by Emma Roberts. The irony.

Could this be a publicity stunt or was this the result of carelessness on Franco's behalf? Share your comments with us below.