'Do I really care?' Woody Allen comes out fighting

[snoop1130]

'Do I really care?' Woody Allen comes out fighting

By Hadley Freeman

 

‘It’s like being told I murdered six people with a machine gun’ ... Woody Allen. Photograph: Arnaud Journois/Maxppp/PA Images

 

The 1992 accusation that the film-maker sexually assaulted his young daughter has made him a pariah, yet he was never charged.

 

In this exclusive interview, he explains why he is done with treading carefully.

 

When Woody Allen was 20, the writer Danny Simon taught him a few rules about comedy, the most important of which was this: always trust your own judgment, because external opinion is meaningless.

 

Allen recounts this tale in his recently published memoir, Apropos of Nothing.

 

Full Story: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/may/29/do-i-really-care-woody-allen-comes-out-fighting

[OneMoreFarang]

Imagine you are accused of a crime. No evidence, no charge, no conviction. And almost 30 years later people still behave as if you are guilty.

For most crimes that does not happen. But if a woman makes an accusation against a man and it's about sexual abuse then we are somehow supposed to always believe the woman. Because as we all know no women would ever lie about such things. They always tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Or not?

 

And how can such a man convince anybody that it didn't happen? He can't. So now he is either guilty because he can't prove that he is not guilty. Or maybe some people hope at some time there will be some evidence that he is guilty.

 

But not guilty seems to be no option in this world for men who are accused. What a crazy world!

[BritManToo]

47 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Imagine you are accused of a crime. No evidence, no charge, no conviction. And almost 30 years later people still behave as if you are guilty.

I have a lot of sympathy for Woody.

It appears the only way out for a man is to kill the accuser.

At least then you get a trial. a judgement, possibly a jail sentence, and it's over.

[nobodysfriend]

Yes , a woman can ruin a man's reputation by just pretending that he's done something to her ...

Lucky that I lost my good  "reputation" a long time ago . Now I am free , and do not have to care about that anymore ... 55

[1FinickyOne]

13 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

no women would ever lie about such things

True story.. a friend of mine in USA wanted to come visit here.. he was separated from his wife... when he mentioned coming to visit me, she threatened to bash in her own face with a baseball bat and go to the police and say he did it... 

 

As to Woody - I don't believe he did it, but marrying your step daughter is still a bit creepy... Midnight in Paris was a great movie. 

[Langsuan Man]

We are now supposed to believe this creep who had an affair with his 21 year old step daughter, who he eventually married and we are supposed to feel sorry for how his life was ruined 

 

 Pariah is the most appropriate description of Woody Allen I can come up with

[CorpusChristie]

6 minutes ago, Langsuan Man said:

We are now supposed to believe this creep who had an affair with his 21 year old step daughter, who he eventually married and we are supposed to feel sorry for how his life was ruined 

 

 Pariah is the most appropriate description of Woody Allen I can come up with

Dislike him all you like for the things that he did, marrying his stepdaughter , but its unfair to dislike him on an allegation with was found to be a false allegation 

 

According to court testimony, on August 4, 1992, Allen visited the children at Mia Farrow's home in Bridgewater, Connecticut, while she was shopping with a friend.^[251] During the following day, that friend's babysitter told her employer that she had seen that "Dylan was sitting on the sofa, and Woody was kneeling on the floor, facing her, with his head in her lap".^[262][263] When Farrow asked Dylan about it, Dylan allegedly said that Allen had touched Dylan's "private part" while they were alone together in the attic.^[251] Allen strongly denied the allegation, calling it "an unconscionable and gruesomely damaging manipulation of innocent children for vindictive and self-serving motives".^[264] He then began proceedings in New York Supreme Court for sole custody of his and Farrow's son Satchel, as well as Dylan and Moses, their two adopted children.^[265] In March 1993 a six-month investigation by the Child Sexual Abuse Clinic of Yale-New Haven Hospital concluded that Dylan had not been sexually abused.^[266][267] In June 1993 Justice Elliott Wilk rejected Allen's bid for custody and rejected the allegation of sexual abuse. Wilk said he was less certain than the Yale-New Haven team that there was conclusive evidence that there was no sexual abuse and called Allen's conduct with Dylan "grossly inappropriate",^{[268][269][270]} although not sexual.^[271] In September 1993 the state prosecutor announced that, despite having "probable cause", he would not pursue charges in order "to avoid the unjustifiable risk of exposing a child to the rigors and uncertainties of a questionable prosecution".^[268][272] In October 1993 the New York Child Welfare Agency of the State Department of Social Services closed a 14-month investigation and concluded there was not credible evidence of abuse or maltreatment and the allegation was unfounded.^[273]

In 2014, when Allen received a Golden Globe Award for Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement, the issue returned to the forefront of media attention with Mia Farrow and Ronan Farrow making disparaging remarks about Allen on Twitter.^[274][275] On February 1, 2014, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, with Dylan's permission, published a column that included excerpts from a letter Dylan had written to Kristof about her memories and feelings about the initial episode, public reaction to the issue, and Allen's award.^[276] On May 23, 2018, Moses Farrow defended Allen against Dylan's and Mia's allegations on his blog, saying that he was in the house that day and did not lose sight of Dylan during his father's entire visit.^[277] Allen's daughter Bechet Dumaine Allen supported Moses's comments.^[278]

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_Allen#Sexual_abuse_allegation

[pacovl46]

This sounds very much like his ex couldn’t handle the fact that he fell in love with her daughter and abandoned her for her and now she’s on a 30 year revenge ride and not above dragging her other kids into it! 

[orchis]

Never been charged or convicted in 30 years.

[Jingthing]

I'm not really interested in his personal affairs. 

If the legal system has something on him let it act.

But that never happened did it? 

My POV is that Woody Allen is one of the greatest film auteurs in history and a pretty good writer as well.

Yes some of his output has been total failures but he has been prolific and he's never been afraid to take wild experimental risks that sometimes totally hit the mark. 

Compare to the soulless dreck of generic Comic Book Action Movie 5 for contrast of his value as an artist. 

It does seem very crappy how such a man has been treated as a pariah. 

American culture loves to see celebrities ruined. 

I'm happy for him that he has the mental strength to basically ignore all that. 

Edited May 30, 2020 by Jingthing

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Langsuan Man said:

We are now supposed to believe this creep who had an affair with his 21 year old step daughter, who he eventually married and we are supposed to feel sorry for how his life was ruined 

 

 Pariah is the most appropriate description of Woody Allen I can come up with

Most guys like pretty young (and legal) girls. Some do it openly and other pretend that they only like old women.

And having an affair with a 21 old is not illegal - at least until now but I am not sure about every state in America.

 

[Emdog]

Woody never got his "day in court".

Last time I looked he and his bride are still together after all these decades

Part of the vitriol is due to prevalent disapproval of older man with much younger wife, doubly so if wife is Asian ethnic origin.

I loved Midnight in Paris too

Memories can be implanted. Watch this vid for interesting info regarding that, from highly regarded pro

https://youtu.be/PB2OegI6wvI

[Proboscis]

2 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

We are now supposed to believe this creep who had an affair with his 21 year old step daughter, who he eventually married and we are supposed to feel sorry for how his life was ruined 

 

 Pariah is the most appropriate description of Woody Allen I can come up with

Perhaps you would not mind the whole world thinking that you raped your daughter when she was a child. But others definitely do mind, terribly. Especially when people you thought were your friend start talking to the media saying they will never work with you again.

 

People will be talking about this in 50 years time in the same way as they talk about MacCarthyism and blacklists/witchhunts in Hollywood back in the 1950s.

[spidermike007]

During the inevitably acrimonious breakup, Farrow accused him of sexually assaulting their seven-year-old adopted daughter, Dylan. (Allen and Farrow also have an adopted son, Moses, then 14, and a biological son, Satchel, then four, now known as Ronan, the journalist. At this point, Farrow also had six older children of her own, including Soon-Yi.) According to contemporaneous news reports, as well as accusing Allen of molesting Dylan, Farrow testified that she thought Allen might be gay and abuse Satchel.

 

Huh? One has to be a complete pathological freak, to sexually abuse a 7 year old. And then on top of that, she levels charges that "maybe he is gay"? And maybe my four year old son is not safe? Those sound like words of utter desperation, from a shrill, thwarted, older, unattractive, and pathetic woman, who is being spurned, and had a career that was basically over, and on top of that, her adopted daughter decides to take off with her husband! No wonder she is bitter! 

 

I have some sympathy for "me too", when charges are leveled at a man such as Weinstein, where you have multiple witnesses over many years. But this? Hogwash. Nonsense. The only reality in all of this, is that he got with his own step daughter. Some find that creepy. I think it is a bit odd, but I tend to be reasonable in my judgment of another man, and worse offenses have been committed. It was totally consensual, and she seems quite happy in the marriage.

 

And he has paid a huge price for it, with very, very cowardly actors like Timothee Chalamet, Colon Firth, Greta Gerwig, Peter Saarsgard (an amazing actor), Mira Sorvino, Natalie Portman, Rachel Wood, and Rebecca Hall refusing to work for him. Though many have stood up for him, and refused to condemn him based on rumors and the allegation of one very bitter woman, including Scarlett Johanssen (she has perhaps the most to lose, as she is at the peak of her career), Selana Gomez, Blake Lively, Kate Winslet, Kate Blanchett, Diane Keaton, Jeff Goldblum, Javier Bardam, Elle Fanning, Dianne Weist, Alan Alda, Angelica Huston, Emily Mortimer, Penelope Cruz, Kristen Stewart ((Café Society): “At the end of the day, Jesse [Eisenberg] and I talked about this. If we were persecuted for the amount of stuff that’s been said about us that’s not true, our lives would be over. The experience of making the movie was so outside of that, it was fruitful for the two of us to go on with it.”), Diego Luna, Jude Law, Antonio Banderas, and many others, who are courageous, and have some conviction, and are unwilling to convict someone in the court of public opinion. I admire these actors who are not willing to jump on the me too bandwagon, and pass judgment over a very harsh accusation, that has never been proven. 

 

"I love Woody,” Johansson told the Hollywood Reporter. “I believe him, and I would work with him anytime.” 

 

"I didn't know Woody and I don't know anything about that family," Winslet said. "As the actor in the film, you just have to step away and say, I don't know anything, really, and whether any of it is true or false. Having thought it all through, you put it to one side and just work with the person." She also described the experience of working with Allen as "extraordinary."

 

Keaton is one of Allen's long-time collaborators—they worked together in 1977's iconic Annie Hall—and his one-time romantic partner. When she was asked by The Guardian about the accusations against Allen, she said, "I have nothing to say about that. Except: I believe my friend."

 

Gina Gershon was quoted as saying, "I don't believe that to be true. You should really do all of the research and read all of the articles before believing that. It's really important to make up your own mind and not go by what the masses claim. I've done extensive research and I can say with very clear conscience that I'm so happy to be working with him. This man is not a sexual predator!"

 

“He’s a genius. I would work with him tomorrow,” Bardem said Monday at the Lumiere Film Festival, according to Variety. The actor, 49, said that despite the explosion of the #MeToo movement, Allen’s legal status has remained the same since they first worked together over a decade ago, and he has never been convicted of a crime. “Today, 11 years later, it is the same accusation. Public accusations are very dangerous. If some day there is a trial and it’s proven to be true, I would change my opinion, but at this moment, nothing has changed,” he said.

 

 

[Keyser Soze666]

4 hours ago, kenk24 said:

Midnight in Paris was a great movie. 

Nah, absolutely nowhere near 'great' it was decent, but certainly no more than that.

 

I like a lot of his films, although he has done some stinkers too. For me his best film is Match Point.

[LarryLEB]

11 minutes ago, Keyser Soze666 said:

Nah, absolutely nowhere near 'great' it was decent, but certainly no more than that.

 

I like a lot of his films, although he has done some stinkers too. For me his best film is Match Point.

Best = Manhattan.

[Keyser Soze666]

2 minutes ago, LarryLEB said:

Best = Manhattan.

Certainly one of his best. Blue Jasmine that he did a few years ago is good, a bit of a 'return to form'

[Bob A Kneale]

5 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

We are now supposed to believe this creep who had an affair with his 21 year old step daughter, who he eventually married and we are supposed to feel sorry for how his life was ruined 

Pariah is the most appropriate description of Woody Allen I can come up with

 

He has not claimed that his life was ruined, neither is he asking for sympathy!   And it doesn't matter whether you believe it or not.

 

"Pariah" is, indeed, an accurate word to describe his situation (in some circles), all it means "outcast" but I suspect that you thought it means something a lot more detrimental! 

Edited May 30, 2020 by Bob A Kneale

[brewsterbudgen]

And, he did not marry his step-daughter!  Facts tend to be ignored when discussing Woody.

 

Manhattan is great, but Annie Hall is his masterpiece.

[IAMHERE]

8 hours ago, Proboscis said:

People will be talking about this in 50 years time in the same way as they talk about MacCarthyism and blacklists/witchhunts in Hollywood back in the 1950s.

The difference being those actually happened.

[unblocktheplanet]

Roman Polanski...

[from the home of CC]

if he felt untouched by it all why talk about it now?

[orchis]

1 hour ago, from the home of CC said:

if he felt untouched by it all why talk about it now?

because he has a book to sell.

[torturedsole]

1 minute ago, orchis said:

because he has a book to sell.

And probably still feels more than a little aggrieved to have been tried and convicted of the alleged crimes by media.  Mia Farrow - speaks volumes more than Woody Allen ever could.  

[BeltAndRoad]

People saying this degenerate is innocent are unbelievable.  Look at the guy, clearly at the very least a weird little deviate and most likely a kiddie fiddler.  Guilt by association should be more than enough to suggest he make use of the privilege in holding dual passports.  Leaving the US passport behind of course. 

 

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.UCnq50rJb3dRlnWWrPo8cwHaEo%26pid%3DApi&f=1

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.HOXandWapNV7bhZOMQZlmgHaD4%26pid%3DApi&f=1

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.fPsWUPPrJhSXPylOVpFnsQHaE8%26pid%3DApi&f=1

[champers]

His bedroom scene with a live sheep is one of the funniest things I have seen; in Everything You Want To Know About Sex  ... But Were Afraid To Ask.

[mike787]

Who really cares about this guy anyway...waste of oxygen

[Stadtler]

On 5/30/2020 at 1:51 AM, Langsuan Man said:

We are now supposed to believe this creep who had an affair with his 21 year old step daughter, who he eventually married and we are supposed to feel sorry for how his life was ruined 

 

 Pariah is the most appropriate description of Woody Allen I can come up with

Yeah, I'll believe the protestations of a "possible" whore monger - otherwise what would you be doing in Thailand?  Aren't you in Thailand to sleep with of age teenagers?

 

Should Stadtler not assume this, just as you assumed he is guilty?

[Stadtler]

14 hours ago, mike787 said:

Who really cares about this guy anyway...waste of oxygen

Stadtler cares. He is funny.  He is entertaining, and Stadtler enjoys him.