- Culture
- 05 Jun 18
In a statement that will no doubt upset his adopted daughter who claims she was sexually abused by the director when just seven-years-old, Woody Allen is claiming that he's a "big advocate" of the #MeToo movement.
In a new interview with Argentinian news outlet Periodismo Para Todos, Woody Allen has said: "I’m a big advocate of the #MeToo movement. I feel when they find people who harass innocent women and men, it’s a good thing that they’re exposing them. But you know I, I should be the poster boy for the #MeToo movement.”
He added: “Because I have worked in movies for 50 years. I’ve worked with hundreds of actresses and not a single one – big ones, famous ones, ones starting out – have ever, ever suggested any kind of impropriety at all. I’ve always had a wonderful record with them.”
Speaking about Harvey Weinstein's recent arrest, Woody Allen also told that Argentinian news outlet: “Everyone wants justice to be done. If there is something like the #MeToo movement now, you root for them, you want them to bring to justice these terrible harassers, these people who do all these terrible things. And I think that’s a good thing.”
Back in January, the Oscar winning director released a statement denying he sexually abused his adopted daughter when she was seven-years-old.
He was prompted to release the statement after the now 32-year-old Dylan Farrow, whose adoptive Grandmother was the Irish actress Maureen O'Sullivan, conducted her first in-depth TV interview back in January about the abuse she claims she suffered at her adopted father's hands.
Dylan Farrow told of her "outrage", "hurt" and anger after "years of being ignored (and) disbelieved" about claims that she was sexually assaulted by Woody Allen
Woody Allen has always denied allegations that he abused his adopted daughter when she was seven-years-old.
Allen was investigated back in 1992 after his ex wife Mia Farrow, probably best known as the star of the classic horror 'Rosemary's Baby', reported him. But no charges were ever brought against him.
In a statement released to CBS News back in January, Woody Allen stated:“When this claim was first made more than 25 years ago, it was thoroughly investigated by both the Child Sexual Abuse Clinic of the Yale-New Haven Hospital and New York State Child Welfare.
“They both did so many months and independently concluded that no molestation had ever taken place.”
Afterwards, Dylan was showing a clip of Allen denying the claims and she responded by saying:“He’s lying and he’s been lying for so long, and it is difficult for me to see him and to hear his voice.”
At the time, Allen also repeated his claim that he believes Dylan was brainwashed into making the allegations because her adopted mother wanted revenge because he had started a relationship with another one of her adopted children, Soon Yi Previn.
“It seems to have worked – and, sadly, I’m sure Dylan truly believes what she says,”his statement read.
“But even though the Farrow family is cynically using the opportunity afforded by the Time’s Up movement to repeat this discredited allegation, that doesn’t make it any more true today than it was in the past.
"I never molested my daughter – as all investigations concluded a quarter of a century ago.”
Dylan also dismissed his story that she was brainwashed into claiming all this. "What I don’t understand is how is this crazy story of me being brainwashed and coached more believable than what I’m saying about being sexually assaulted by my father.”
Asked why people should believe her claim, she responded: I suppose that’s on them, but all I can do is speak my truth and hope, hope that somebody will believe me instead of just hearing.”
Dylan said that she was inspired to come forward and do the interview because of the #TimeUp campaign.
“It was very momentous for me to see this conversation finally carried into a public setting,” she said. “Because I have been saying this – I have been repeating my accusations unaltered for over 20 years and I have been systematically shut down, ignored, or discredited.
"If they can’t acknowledge the accusations of one survivor how are they going to stand for all of us?”
Tomorrow you will see the me my family and friends know. The raw and honest reality. No airs, just the truth. I wanted to face you, I wanted you to see me; not as a Farrow, not as a figure, but as a woman telling the truth to honor the little girl that got left behind. /3 end.
— Dylan Farrow (@realdylanfarrow) January 18, 2018
Speaking to CBS This Morning back in January, she also said: "Why shouldn't I feel some sort of outrage... after all these years of being ignored, disbelieved and tossed aside?"
She added: "Why shouldn’t I want to bring him down? Why shouldn’t I be angry? Why shouldn’t I be hurt?
"All I can do is speak my truth and hope - hope that somebody will believe me rather than just hearing."
While only last month, we reported how Moses Farrow had penned an emotional blog in which he claims that his sister was not sexually assaulted by their adoptive father.
In the blog, Moses Farrow starts off: "I’m a very private person and not at all interested in public attention. But, given the incredibly inaccurate and misleading attacks on my father, Woody Allen, I feel that I can no longer stay silent as he continues to be condemned for a crime he did not commit.
"I was present for everything that transpired in our house before, during, and after the alleged event. Now that the public hysteria of earlier this year has died down a little and I have some hope that the truth can get a fair hearing, I want to share my story."
Disputing his sister's claims that she was sexually abused, Moses writes: "Dylan was alone with Woody in his apartment countless times over the years without a hint of impropriety, yet some would have you believe that at the age of 56, he suddenly decided to become a child molester in a house full of hostile people ordered to watch him like a hawk.”
But Dylan Farrow has now dismissed her brother's blog as "an attempt to deflect from a credible allegation made by an adult woman, by trying to impugn my mother who has only ever been supportive of me and my siblings.”
“It’s easily disproven, contradicts years of his own statements, is beyond hurtful to me personally, and is part of a larger effort to discredit and distract from my assault,” she told People magazine. “My brother is a troubled person. I’m so sorry he’s doing this.”
One of the things that I have found most disturbing about sharing my story is how many strangers feel compelled to tell me what I “really” experienced and what my family is “really” like.
— Dylan Farrow (@RealDylanFarrow) February 12, 2018
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To presume I invented this story & convinced myself of it is no less insulting than calling me a liar. I’ve consistently stated the truth for 25 years, I won’t stop now. It’s Stephens’ right to doubt me if he so chooses but his incredulity doesn’t change what happened that day./2
— Dylan Farrow (@RealDylanFarrow) February 10, 2018
Only on @CBSThisMorning, Dylan Farrow addresses alleged sexual abuse by her adoptive father, Woody Allen. For 25 years, Farrow has insisted Allen sexually assaulted her when she was a child. In her conversation with @GayleKing, Farrow explains why now is the time to speak out: pic.twitter.com/Sfsz4YK0hu
— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 17, 2018