Woody Allen may be one of the most celebrated filmmakers of our times; but all of that fame and attention hasn’t been enough to shield him from controversy. In fact, his once-prestigious position high up on the Hollywood ladder has only made his personal problems that much worse. And while the Annie Hall director once universally applauded by critics and fans alike. His career and reputation have been on a steady downhill trajectory for years now.
He has one message for the world as he continues on despite a string of unsavory accusations that have tarnished. Woody Allen doesn’t care what you think about him. And he’s not about to let
his ex-lover Mia Farrow, nor the rumor mill and gossip rags hold him back from doing what he loves. That said, he hasn’t done much in the way of defending himself from those eyebrow-raising accusations. And it hasn’t just been the tabloids that have accused him of wrongdoing.
Join FactsVerse as we take a closer look at some of the most scandalous complaints; that have been leveled against the octogenarian film star. While we could certainly do a whole video covering these unbecoming claims. We’ll also spending a significant portion of this one reflecting on Wood Allen’s emphatic denial of what has said about.
Woody’s Early Life Lessons
When he’s just 20 years old and just getting started in show business; writer Danny Simon taught young Woody Allen a few rules about comedy that he has since never forgotten; the most important being, always trust your judgment, because all external opinions are essentially meaningless.
While back then, Woody was basically a nobody just getting his footing in the entertainment industry. Today his name has thoroughly run through the mud. Despite the fact that he’s the man behind some of the most critically acclaimed comedy films of the 20th century.
For the last two decades or so; there is really only thing that critics and the public think about when discussing Allen. Sure, his films like 1979s Manhattan and 1980s Stardust Memories come to mind; but nobody seems interested in discussing those at this point. It seems to be one of those cases when the artist and their artwork are two distinct things. It’s undeniable that Allen is an influential and downright genius filmmaker. But his personal character leaves much desired.
Mia Farrow’s Molestation Accusation
In 1992, it came to light that Allen who was then 57, having an affair with Soon-Yi Previn; who was just 21 years old at the time. While that in and of itself wouldn’t be that shocking. Especially in Hollywood where enormous age gaps in relationships are business as usual. What made this particular situation so unusual was how Previn was the adopted daughter of Allen and his long-term partner; Mia Farrow.
During Wood and Mia’s predictably messy breakup, Farrow accused Woody of sexually assaulting their 7-year-old adopted daughter, Dylan. It’s worth mentioning that Allen and Farow also adopted a son named Moses and had a biological son named Satchel; who has since taken on the name Ronan.
By the time of this accusation, Farrow also had six other children of her own – Soon-Yi included.
According to reports from that time, in addition to accusing Woody of sexually assaulting Dylan; Farrow also testified that she believed Allen homosexual and thus he might inclined to abuse Satchel as well. While being gay certainly doesn’t mean someone is any more likely to commit these kinds of egregious acts; Farrow evidently believed there was some sort of correlation. A source close to Mia’s family now denies that she ever feared Allen gay or that he would molest Satchel.
Allen has since told reporters that he believed from day one that people would have seen these accusations; as ‘laughable rubbish’. So he never really took them that seriously back then.
In the 1990s, It was mainly Allen’s affair with his stepdaughter Soon-Yi that people considered to be scandalous. But in recent years after Ronan and Dylan have publicly spoken out again their father; while Moses and Soon-yi have come to his defense; attention has instead pivoted to the molestation claims.
In 2014, Dylan told the New York Times that Allen is a prime example; the way that society ‘fails the survivors of sexual abuse”. Two years later, Ronan told the Hollywood Reporter that even though Allen had never convicted of any crime. That didn’t give the press a free pass to silence victims or fail to take their allegations seriously.
Obviously, there is much more awareness in today’s world of the prevalence of sexual abuse than back in the 90s. Likewise, the public has grown increasingly afraid of being on the ‘wrong end of history. These days, if you question a victim’s story, you’d viewed as being a rape apologist.
As such, these old allegations against Woody Allen have given more power than they had in the past. Allen’s name regularly gets lumped in with other entertainment industry figures such as Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein; who have experienced extreme falls from grace over their sexual assault allegations and subsequent convictions.
While these two men, and other infamous alleged offenders such as R. Kelly, Jeffrey Epstein and even Michael Jackson all have accused of assaulting multiple victims; thus forming a pattern of predatory behavior spanning their entire lifetimes. Allen has only accused of one instance of molestation and never convicted of any such crime.
You would think then that Woody would sue outlets like the New York Times; for referring to him as ‘monster’ alongside villainous scum like Weinstein and Epstein. So, why hasn’t he taken such action?
Allen Doesn’t Care What People Say About Him
Woody says that it simply wouldn’t serve him to sue. He doesn’t want to become as he calls it “tabloid fodder”; for years on end by taking his complaints to court. On top of that that, he claims rather frankly to not care what the media thinks about him.
In his latest memoir, Apropos of Nothing; Allen insists that the accusation of him being some kind of predator is merely a ‘small part of the story’. But you wouldn’t get that impression by reading the book. The way that he describes the fallout from his breakup with Farrow; reads a lot like someone that cares quite a bit.
When you read how Allen talks about the events of 1992; you get the impression that he shocked and greatly disturbed by the accusation. He discusses at great length his frustration with ‘well-meaning citizens’ fueled with ‘moral indignation’; who were eager to take a stand on an issue that they ‘knew nothing about’.
In 2020, several prominent actors who had worked with Allen after the initial scandal. But before the public had it’s change of heart on him. Including Greta Gerwig, Rebecca Hall, Mira Sorvino, and Colin Firth; came out and expressed deep remorse for having chosen to continue working with.
Other stars who have refused to denounce him, such as Alan Alda, Alec Baldwin, and Larry David; have publicly shamed for not jumping aboard the ‘cancel Woody Allen’ bandwagon. Allen has since called the trend of actors who had worked with previously denouncing him as ‘silly’. He also thinks that the world needs to listen to the testimony ; those who worked in his home back in 1992.
One of these individuals, Monica Thompson, worked as a Nanny who provided care for Farrow and Allen’s children. Thompson gave the court two sworn affidavits claiming that Farrow had tried to pressure her into backing the molestation chargers. She instead claimed that Allen was the ‘better parent’. And insisted that everything that Farrow was saying about him wasn’t true.
Looking At The Facts
After Mia Farrow alleged that Allen molested Dylan in their home in Connecticut. Doctors who examined the girl found no evidence that indicated abuse.
Allen then investigated by Yale New Haven Hospital’s sexual abuse clinic as well as New York’s Child Welfare Administration. Yale concluded that Dylan had not molested by Allen. And the New York Child Welfare Administration; reaffirmed this by saying after a lengthy 14-month investigation of the facts; that no credible evidence found that Dylan had abused.
The Yale New Haven report even included a statement by Dr. John Leventhal, who headed the investigation, indicating that Dylan’s statements seemed rehearsed. Leventhal further theorized that she had coached by her mother. In 2018, Dylan denied this, however, by saying that her mother only ever encouraged her to ‘tell the truth’.
That same year though Moses seemed to give Leventhal’s hypothesis credence by saying that he had ‘brainwashed’ by Farrow. That he had to follow his mother’s script in order to prove his loyalty.
Some claim that Leventhal never actually interviewed Dylan; but according to publicly available reports. She had interviewed nine times over a period of six months; by two social workers that were members of Leventhal’s team.
In the 30 years since Allen was accused of molestation. Many of the facts of the case have been marred by public opinion. And what people think they know about what transpired. Unfortunately, almost everything that people believe about the case is inaccurate.
For one thing, it’s been said that Allen had received therapy sessions for ‘inappropriate’ feelings that he had towards Dylan. Furthermore, it’s been implied that these feelings were sexual in nature. Allen, of course, adamantly denies these claims.
Court records seem to back Allen up on this matter. A child psychologist named Susan Coates; who had evaluated Dylan and treated Satchel, only described Dylan and Allen’s relationship as ‘inappropriately intense’. Denying that it was in any form sexual or romantic. Coates felt like it was only inappropriate in the way that Allen emotionally neglected Farrow’s older children; instead focusing almost exclusively on baby Dylan.
Dr. Kathryn Prescott, Allen’s therapist of the last two decades; reaffirmed this position when she testified that there had never been any indication; that her client had suffered from sexual perversion ; or deviant sexual behavior.
At the end of the day, Farrow’s claims have been impossible to prove. And no evidence has ever come forward to suggest that Woody Allen had ever actually molested his daughter. That being said, he did end up losing his custody battle with Farrow. And the judge that presided over that case seemed to think that Allen’s relationship with Soon-Yi was grossly innapropriate.
Do you think that Woody Allen is the monstrous sexual predator that the media has made him out to be; or do you think that he is innocent and has been unfairly treated? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
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