Argentinian news program “Periodismo Para Todos” [Quartz], had an exclusive interview with Woody Allen, who decided to finally open up about the accusations against him and also speak a bit about the #MeToo movement.
This is the quote that has people talking:
“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 should be the poster boy for the #MeToo movement. 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.”
You know how I feel about the Woody Allen case. Moses Farrow, the adopted son of Allen and Mia Farrow, has always shot down the claim that his sister was molested by Woody back in August 1992. In fact, he's accused his mother Mia of being a manipulative control freak when he and his siblings were younger. Moses doubled-down on Mia a few weeks ago in an op-ed entitled “A Son Speaks Out.” In it, the most shocking claim, for many sadly, is that his mother Mia was abusive towards him and his siblings.
Dylan said he published the essay 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.”
Other noteworthy quotes from the interview:
“I think in any situation where anyone is accused of something unjustly, this is a sad thing. I think everybody would agree with that… 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,” Allen said.
“What bothers me is that I get linked in with them. People who have been accused by 20 women, 50 women, 100 women of abuse and abuse and abuse– and I, who was only accused by one woman in a child custody case which was looked at and proven to be untrue, I get lumped in with these people,” he continued.
“…I mean this is just so crazy. This is something that has been thoroughly looked at 25 years ago by all the authorities and everybody came to the conclusion that it was untrue. And that was the end and I’ve gone on with my life. For it to come back now, it’s a terrible thing to accuse a person of. I’m a man with a family and my own children. So, of course, it’s upsetting.”
Allen’s latest film “A Rainy Day in New York” is still in post-production and has no release date.
Of note:
We've been covering the Woody Allen saga left and right ever since Dylan Farrow's sexual abuse allegations against her 82-year-old father were reignited courtesy of the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements late last year. Mia Farrow and her kids Ronan and Dylan have vehemently stayed true to their convictions, even as Alec Baldwin was condemning them as basically liars earlier this month, and that has no doubt raised a spark akin to a domino effect in the industry with Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig, Rebecca Hall, and Timothée Chalamet all expressing remorse in having worked with the director in the past. Allen's reputation has taken a major hit that will no doubt have Amazon wondering what their next move should be in regards to that nice, big contract Allen signed with them a few years back. Will they change their tune on the director? Who knows.
Bardem's defense of the director comes after celebrities such as Cate Blanchett, Diane Keaton and Alec Baldwin refused to adhere to mob-fandom and condemn Allen, a director they've all worked with in past films. I assume they have read enough about the case to raise their own conspicuous doubts. If you are the kind of person that is open-minded and would rather inform his or herself rather than be lazy and just trust fake news, then, please, by all means, read Robert Weide's excellent dissections of Allen vs Farrow which were posted on 12.13.17, 5.30.16, and, most recently, 1.14.18.