This site uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising.
By continuing to browse, you agree to the use of cookies described in our Cookies Policy.
You may change your settings at any time but this may impact on the functionality of the site.
To learn more see our
Cookies Policy.
Download our app
Why it's no longer enough for actors like Kate Winslet to play dumb on the Woody Allen issue
IN FEBRUARY 2014, Dylan Farrow wrote a wrenching essay for The New York Times in which she detailed the sexual abuse and grooming she alleges to have suffered at the hands of her adoptive father Woody Allen.
It was the first time Farrow had spoken out about the alleged abuse, which triggered a firestorm and custody battle between Mia Farrow and Woody Allen. Allen has long maintained his innocence and never found guilty of a crime. He has suggested that Mia Farrow was responsible for planting the allegations in his daughter’s head.
While Farrow’s essay caused a stir upon publication, it did little to derail Woody Allen’s illustrious career. Since its publication, he has made four films: Magic in the Moonlight, Café Society, An Irrational Man and Wonder Wheel. A fifth, A Rainy Day in New York, is currently in production.
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, however, people have begun to revisit the allegations made against Allen. While the industry has long been content to dismiss the allegations as a private family matter, more and more stars are being questioned about their willingness to work with Woody Allen.
This week, Kate Winslet came under fire for an interview in which she stated that Allen was in touch with his feminine side.
Winslet, who stars in Wonder Wheel, has also previously distanced herself from the allegations made against Woody Allen and adopted a “see no evil, hear no evil” stance.
Many have labeled Winslet a hypocrite, particularly as she praised the women who came forward with allegations about producer Harvey Weinstein. But she is far from the only one to happily ignore the unsavoury allegations made against Woody Allen.
Here’s what other actors have had to say about working with him, even after the publication of Dylan Farrow’s essay.
Emma Stone, Magic in the Moonlight, July 2014
On being a fan of Woody Allen:
Colin Firth, Magic in the Moonlight, July 2014
On what it was like to be asked to star as the lead in a Woody Allen film:
On not thinking twice about working with him:
Jacki Weaver, Magic in the Moonlight, August 2014
On working with Woody Allen in spite of the Dylan Farrow allegations:
Joaquin Phoenix, An Irrational Man, September 2015
On deciding to work with Woody Allen:
Emma Stone, An Irrational Man, July 2015
On working with Woody Allen on two films:
Kristen Stewart, Café Society, May 2016
On consulting Jesse Eisenberg about working with Woody Allen. (Eisenberg has said he has no recollection of this conversation.)
Blake Lively, Café Society, May 2016
On Ronan Farrow’s op-ed in which he criticised stars like Blake Lively for working wtih Woody Allen:
Jesse Eisenberg, Café Society, July 2016
On admiring Woody Allen:
Justin Timberlake, Wonder Wheel, November 2016
On getting to work with his “heroes” Woody Allen and Jonathan Demme:
Miley Cyrus, Crisis in Six Scenes, September 2016
Scarlett Johansson, who starred in three Woody Allen films, called Dylan Farrow “irresponsible” for naming her in her open letter.
Cate Blanchett, who won an Oscar for her performance in Blue Jasmine, stated her desire for the family to find closure on the situation, but said nothing of her decision to work with Woody Allen.
Scarlett Johansson is correct in saying that Woody Allen has not been convicted of a crime. But in saying that, she is overlooking the massive resources Allen has pumped into protecting his name and ensuring the system continues to work in his favour.
Yesterday, Dylan Farrow published another open letter in the Los Angeles Times in which she drew direct comparisons between Woody Allen and Harvey Weinstein’s modus operandi for dealing with such allegations.
It’s clear from actors’ comments that many are willing to either take Woody Allen at his word or overlook Dylan Farrow’s allegations as a family matter. As is often the case with allegations of either child abuse or domestic abuse, people are unwilling to wade in or intervene because they think it’s not their place.
But here are some basic facts that Hollywood needs to reckon with. Many of Woody Allen’s family maintain he abused Dylan Farrow. Three witnesses corroborated Dylan Farrow’s version of events on the day of her alleged assault.
In 1993, the judge who presided over the custody case concluded there was “no credible evidence to support Mr. Allen’s contention that Ms. Farrow coached Dylan or that Ms. Farrow acted upon a desire for revenge against him for seducing Soon-Yi”.
The same judge found that the director’s “behavior toward Dylan was grossly inappropriate and that measures must be taken to protect her”. (You can read the full 1993 ruling here.)
These facts coupled with Dylan Farrow’s testimony are very troubling. For actors like Kate Winslet to maintain that they can never know what truly happened demonstrates either a severe lack of curiosity on their part or a willingness to be complicit in a campaign to silence a young woman who is adamant she was abused by her father.
And for what? A possible Oscar nomination? The chance to say you got to work with Woody Allen?
It may not be an actor’s place to play judge and jury, but if the #MeToo movement has taught us anything, it’s that there’s power in speaking out against perceived injustices even if it costs you roles.
Take Ellen Page, for instance. Last month, she wrote a Facebook post in which she called working with Woody Allen “the biggest regret of my career”.
Oscar-nominated actress Jessica Chastain has spoken out against Woody Allen, while Susan Sarandon has said, “I think he sexually assaulted a child and I don’t think that’s right.”
ONTD ONTD
Perhaps the loudest gesture came from actor Griffin Newman, who stars in A Rainy Day in New York.
Following the wave of allegations against Harvey Weinstein, the actor posted a thread on Twitter in which he apologised for working with Allen and announced he was donating his entire salary from the movie to RAINN, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network.
He stated that he had read Dylan Farrow’s op-ed and “know who I want to believe”.
Whoops!
We couldn't find this Tweet
Kate Winslet, Justin Timberlake et al would do well to take a leaf from Newman’s book. After all, we can’t encourage women to speak up and then block our ears when listening to them proves inconvenient.
DailyEdge is on Instagram!
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
chats Kate Winslet wonder wheel Woody Allen