Woody Allen's Adopted Daughter Resurrects Abuse Claim
Dylan Farrow pens open letter detailing alleged sexual assaults by the famed film director.
This morning, we are starting to get some responses from celebrities to a dramatic and really disturbing open letter penned by Woody Allen’s daughter.
Yeah, her accusations of abuse at the hands of the filmmaker date back to two decades. And now she’s questioning why Hollywood has turned a blind eye. ABC’s Michelle F. has more.
An explosive open letter written by Woody Allen’s adopted daughter Dylan Farrow is reopening old wounds and allegations of abuse. In her own words published in the New York Times, Dylan Farrow details claims she was sexually by her father in an attic when she was seven years old. Dylan first spoke out publicly last November in an interview with Vanity Fair.
According to what Dylan told me, she truly is terrified of Woody Allen to this day. She can’t bear to even look at one of his pictures in a magazine.
Claims the awards-winning director has always strongly denied.
Certainly, I never, ever abused my daughter. There was no sexual abuse that ever took place.
The accusations were investigated by police in family courts, but Allen was never charged with the crime.
A six-month exhausted investigation, there was no evidence from their view to support that the seven-year-old had been sexually abused.
Dylan, now 28, said she felt compelled to speak up for herself and support other alleged victims after watching Hollywood honoured Allen with a life-time achievement award at the Golden Globes, writing, “It felt like a personal rebuke, like the awards and accolades were a way to tell me to shut up and go away.” Her brother Ronan also criticized the celebration, twitting during the Golden Globes, “Missed the Woody Allen tribute -- did they put the part where a women publicly confirmed he molested her at age 7 before or after Annie Hall?” That twit sent off an on-line firestorm with writer Margaret Lyons saying, “Is this seriously a speech about how great Woody Allen is at women-things? Pass.” And Aura Bogado calling the Golden Globes tribute disgusting.
Dylan doesn’t stop there. In her letter, she also takes issue with celebrities who have remained friends and worked with Allen, including Diane Keaton and several members of the cast of Allen’s latest film, Blue Jasmine. Cate Blanchett nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for her role responded overnight in the Hollywood Reporter. “It’s obviously been a long and painful situation for the family and I hope they find some resolution and peace.”
ABC News reached out to Allen, Farrow and Cate as well as other actors, but has not received comment yet. And certainly as this conversation heats up, the head of the Oscars, many will be debating how Hollywood handles this kind of controversial and very sad story.
Very sad, very difficult, very private.
Very private gone public.
Right, Michelle, thank you.