Lisa Frank's Ex-Husband James Green Recounts the Phone Call That Was the 'Beginning of the End' of Their Marriage

Mar. 15, 2025

Lisa Frank and James Green in CNN interview about Lisa Frank Inc.Photo:CNN (2)

CNN (2)

James Greenis opening up about the end of his relationship with Lisa Frank.

Green details the rise and fall of his involvement, both with the brand and the woman behind it, in Amazon MGM Studios' docuseriesGlitter and Greed: The Lisa Frank Story, now streaming on Prime Video.

The bigger the company grew, the more pressure both parties were under to balance their personal and professional lives, which Green says was a huge challenge. While Frank focused on their kids, he was left making major business decisions.

“I was young and I was under an enormous amount of pressure. When you have a business worth like $200 million or more, you have to keep it alive and flowing. We were in the penny business, okay. You had to sell a lot of pennies to make money," he explains.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Lisa Frank.CNN

CNN

“We were selling like 100 million units. Every one of those units had some artwork on it. It’s just a ton. Hell, at one time, we had 400 people, two shifts in the back of our warehouse assembling product. Tell me that’s not complex. I’m running around with my head chopped off.”

Acknowledging rumors he was often unwelcoming or disgruntled in the workplace, Green adds, “Some days are better than others. I can come down and I can be in a bad mood and it escalated year after year. It got harder and harder and harder. It’s a brutal business.”

Complications in the marriage led Green to realize that his time with Frank and with Lisa Frank Inc. were both likely to come to an end. In discussion with docuseries executive producers Arianne LaPenne and Mary Robertson, he recalled the phone call that let him know their marriage was over.

James Green in “Glitter & Greed: The Lisa Frank Story”.Prime Video

Prime Video

“I guess I was delusional thinking that you could separate the personal from the business," he admits.

“I was like, ‘Wait a minute, this is nuts. Nuts.' I think she thought, ‘Well hell, I want the company back. I want it all for myself.’ And that was the beginning of the end.”

“Glitter & Greed: The Lisa Frank Story”.Amazon Studios

Amazon Studios

Of the breakup, Green adds, “It doesn’t happen overnight. It was a tipping point, like anything in life.”

“My dad said our marriage would last 10 years and it did last exactly 10 years. I’m surprised I lasted that long,” he continues.

“She didn’t get along with my family that well. I felt like she tried to keep the kids away from my dad, my mom. I didn’t spend much time at home and maybe that drove her crazy. Maybe the kids drove her crazy, maybe she drove herself crazy,” he shares. “I don’t know. But I think that was the start of the downfall of our relationship.”

In response to the docuseries, Frank released a statement which appears in each episode that reads, “I have loved art and have been an artists ever since childhood. Lisa Frank, Inc. is the result of that passion. I’m incredibly grateful for the amazing artists and team members who helped bring my vision to life. I’m so excited about the future, as the next generation takes the helm. Stay tuned — the best has yet to come!”

Glitter and Greed: The Lisa Frank Storyis now streaming on Prime Video.

source: people.com