Woody Allen abuse allegation

[twinkles**stars]

New York (AFP) - The adopted daughter of Woody Allen has spoken for the first time about the alleged sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of the legendary Hollywood director during her childhood.

In an open letter published on a New York Times blog, Dylan Farrow, adopted by Allen during his relationship with actress Mia Farrow, detailed being abused by the director when she was seven years old.

"He told me to lay on my stomach and play with my brother's electric train set. Then he sexually assaulted me," Farrow, 28, wrote in the letter.

"He talked to me while he did it, whispering that I was a good girl, that this was our secret, promising that we'd go to Paris and I'd be a star in his movies."

It is the first time Dylan Farrow has spoken publicly about the unproven allegations of abuse which emerged more than two decades ago in the aftermath of Allen's acrimonious split with Mia Farrow in 1992.

Allen, who left Mia Farrow after starting a relationship with the actress's adopted daughter from a previous marriage, Soon-Yi Previn, has always vigorously denied abusing Dylan Farrow.

A New York judge in the 1994 custody battle between Allen and Farrow ruled that the abuse allegations were inconclusive, while at the same time lambasted the director as "self-absorbed, untrustworthy and insensitive."

Allen's representatives could not be immediately reached for comment on Saturday after Dylan Farrow's revelations. The New York Times reported that he had refused to comment.

His adopted daughter accused the Hollywood establishment of sweeping Allen's alleged crimes under the carpet by continuing to honor his films.

Dylan with her mother Mia Farrow in 1990, two years before the alleged incident. Photo: Getty

The director's latest movie, "Blue Jasmine", is nominated for three Academy Awards at next month's Oscars, including best original screenplay for the director.

Farrow called on three of the stars of "Blue Jasmine" -- Australian actress Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin and Louis C.K. to examine their relationship with Allen, asking pointedly: "What if it had been your child?"

"Woody Allen was never convicted of any crime. That he got away with what he did to me haunted me as I grew up," she wrote.

"That torment was made worse by Hollywood. All but a precious few (my heroes) turned a blind eye. Most found it easier to accept the ambiguity, to say, 'who can say what happened,' to pretend that nothing was wrong.

"Actors praised him at awards shows. Networks put him on TV. Critics put him in magazines.

"Woody Allen is a living testament to the way our society fails the survivors of sexual assault and abuse."

[i-need-a-martini]

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@the_great_she_elephant wrote:

Was the allegation that he had actually  raped her or that he had sexually abused her? if it wasn't rape then there would not have been physical evidence.

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One of the allegations was that he put his finger inside her **bleep**. She also has said in interviews that the abuse was physically painful.

[i-need-a-martini]

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@amber-eyed-girl wrote:
Martini, experts are often the last person to get anywhere...a stranger, usually a man, asking a child about sexual matters?

Regardless of how unwilling...sounds like interrogation. Which is what it is.

Children often tell noone, while they are still children.

Think of Teri Hatcher. She was abused. She came forward to support another woman, first speaking of it only as an adult.

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I disagree.

Obviously a child would probab;y clam up in an interrogation by a stranger or a male policeman. But she wasn't interviewed or examined by every day professionals.

Experts that deal with sexual abuse would know how to get information out of a 7 year old. Farrow took her to a leading expert.

Whether Terri Hartcher spoke about it as a child or no is irrelevent. 

[catsnknots]

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@polocross58 wrote:

To me, it reeks of sour-grapes on steroids

After all, no-one here knows one way or the other.  What we do know is that when people don't get their own way and are used to getting it  (especially if they're narcissists) they lose control in rage

We also know that in an attempt to extort money or to gain custody, many women coach their children into agreeing they were molested, etc.  And very often, it works

I don't for one minute accept the claim the allegations were made against WA  ' to save, support other children, blah blah '.  Instead, I personally regard it as a jumping-on of the current bandwagon of claims of paedophilia made against high-profile individuals

As I do not accept that  'helping others'  is the true motive for the allegations, I must look for other motivation.  And as WA is a very wealthy individual, I'm led to suspect that WA has refused to buckle to threat or blackmail which has further enraged the accusers

That's how I read it --- my personal take on it

and I suspect it's been onslaught by increments:  first the snide comments about him not being the biological father of one of the offspring on the eve of show-businesses' honouring an elderly WA for lifetime achievements.  Then the open accusation that WA is a child molester to tarnish his reputation utterly at the very moment his peers are lauding him with awards

Whatever the case, the accusers' ace-card has been played.  They've fired their ultimate salvo.  They have nothing left to throw at WA.  They've done their dash

They've put themselves very publicly in the position of having now to put up -- or shut up

How classless to make accusations via a blog

Anyone confident of their case would surely place it in the hands of solicitors instead of airing their claimed dirty-laundry in the public's face

Very tacky.  And to me, reeks of rage, no matter how the attempt's been made to claim this ugly squabble -- at this particular point in time --- is 'to help others'. 

' Help others'  how, one might ask -- help others by creating a media circus with unsubstantiated accusations which were dismissed by the court 20 years ago ?

Put yourselves on the receiving end and think about it.  Any of you who've had any association whatsoever with children in either private or paid capacity, etc. could find yourselves target of unsubstantiated accusations now or in years to come

If there was a case to answer and if the accusers were confident of their case, the last place they'd put that case would be in a blog -- particularly if they had family members who were members of the legal fraternity.  They'd instead take the matter to course and let the law do its job.   In my opinion, when people resort to public accusations instead of putting a matter before the court -- it's because they know the court would not entertain the matter

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He is now in a sexual relationship with his step daughter.... the allegations now have very strong merit. 

Even his son is making allegations that are very concerning. 

This is the reason that the people keep their mouths shut (even more so when your parent is "famous").She should have the benefit of doubt more than the creep that is living with and having relations other than wholesome ones with his relation. 

[i-need-a-martini]

3 thngs:

Firtsly, He has been a relationship with Previn for 15 years and she was an adult when it began. It should also be noted that Allen was not Previns adopted father and nor was he a stepfather. Neither did he live in the same house as Farrow and her children as he always lived in his own Manhattan apartment throughout their relationship.

Secondly, All of Farrows children and his own son were critical of Allen after the break up with Farrow. All assisted her with taking revenge. All of them have expressed their outrage at the relationship. But it seems very clear from court transcripts and interviews that the entire family turned on Allen once his relationshio was made public. Farrow even distributed the erotic photographs of her daughter to her children and their friends. There is too much bitterness in Farrow and those kids to have a full understanding of what is real and what is not.

Interestingly, one of the children at the time publicly disagreed with statements his sister Dylan had made about the abuse. He no longer speaks to Farrow. I think it is her adopted son Moshe.

Thirdly, this was never kept "quiet" as you suggest. The allegations were made after the spilt, during the custody battle, and periodically to the press since then. The allegations were investigated, the child was examined and interviewed by experts and medical professionals. There was no evidence of any abuse. The few witnesses (the baby sitter and housekeeper) later recanted their accounts saying they were co-erced into making false allegations. So perhaps you should give the "creep" the benefit of the doubt instead?

I should also note that the allegations were made in the midst of a custody battle. That should be enough to raise the alarms bells.

[amber-eyed-girl]

I hope noone here has ever had to go through something like this.

Not being believed if it is true.

Carrying it around for years.

What a life that would be 😞

[amber-eyed-girl]

Teri Hatcher was subjected to public scrutiny too.

She backed it up in court, so it was finalised in the public eye.

This needs to be done here, by court or a sworn statement, otherwise everyone involved will have this hanging over them in the public eye for good. It is not doing any of them any favours really.

[i-need-a-martini]

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@amber-eyed-girl wrote:
I hope noone here has ever had to go through something like this.

Not being believed if it is true.

Carrying it around for years.

What a life that would be 😞

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I agree. No man should have to carry that around for years. Unfortunately it is very common in custody cases.

Sadly I know of 2 cases in my own social circle where the women have accused their partners of abuse in the hope that the father would not have access visits or be able to file for custody.

I also have a close friend whos life was completely ruined when he was accused of abusing a foster child. The court case went on for years. He lost his job, his friends and his house. Whilst there was a question mark over his head he wasn't allowed to live in the same house as his children (either the foster children nor his own). The child was 14 at the time and had a history of abuse and was extremely troubled. It was only after he was cleared (some 6 years later) that he could be re-united with his family. Ironically the girl (now a young woman) has turned her life around and now lives at home with him and his wife. 

[cherry*135]

catamad wrote - He is now in a sexual relationship with his step daughter.... the allegations now have very strong merit. 

That is not correct.

Allen's partner (Soon-Yi Previn) was the adopted child of Mia Farrow and Mr Previn. Mr Previn is Soon-Yi's legal step father.

Allen started a relationship (in 1991) with Soon-Yi when she was 19-21 years old (her exact age wasn't recorded in her country of birth).

They are parents to two adopted children of their own. They had to go through the usual legal process and approval's to be able to adopt.

Woody Allen had a relationship with Mia Farrow for 12(?) years but he lived in his own apartment and never slept a night at Mia Farrows place. 

I am not sticking up for Woody Allen, but correct details are important.

Even his son is making allegations that are very concerning. 

One of his sons.

The other one Moses (now 36) - who was old enough at the time, to decide in the custody case where he lived, had nothing to do with either of his parents for a long time. However, now he has contact with Allen and his partner and still nothing to do with his mother (Mia)

[amber-eyed-girl]

Nobody except the people involved know what is or is not true here.

She really needs to get a sworn statement out in the public eye. If she can, that would begin clearing this up.

I agree with you Martini, if Woody Allen is innocent, what a thing to have to live with.

You are making it clear where you stand.

I am not taking sides.

He has not been proven guilty of anything, but neither has she had her day in court.

It is all very peculiar though. If I were her mum, and these allegations were public, I would have wanted this dealt with in court while legally possible. For everyone's sake.

[cherry*135]

martini.. I missed reading your post with much the same details as my last one, before I posted it.

People need to read more widely than a couple of paragraphs in the Daily Telegraph.