Woody Allen responded on Friday to daughter Dylan Farrow’s accusations of childhood sexual abuse in a New York Times op-ed — the same publication in which Farrow made the claim a week ago.
“Of course, I did not molest Dylan,” Allen wrote in the response.
But Dylan Farrow immediately responded with her own counterclaim, saying: “Nothing he says or writes can change the truth.”
Allen claimed the entire scandal was orchestrated by Dylan’s mother, Mia Farrow, with whom the director was in a lengthy relationship that ended bitterly in 1992, and that their children together – Ronan, Moses, and Dylan Farrow – had all been “exploited” by their vengeful mother.
Also read: Woody Allen’s Adopted Daughter Details Sexual Abuse in New York Times Essay
“I loved [Dylan] and hope one day she will grasp how she has been cheated out of having a loving father and exploited by a mother more interested in her own festering anger than her daughter’s well-being,” Allen wrote.
The director even questioned whether Dylan Farrow wrote the open letter that appeared in the New York Times on Saturday.
“One must ask, did Dylan even write the letter or was it at least guided by her mother? Does the letter really benefit Dylan or does it simply advance her mother’s shabby agenda? That is to hurt me with a smear,” he writes.
Also read: Dylan Farrow’s Brother Defends Woody Allen Against Sister’s Sexual Abuse Claims
“There is even a lame attempt to do professional damage by trying to involve movie stars, which smells a lot more like Mia than Dylan,” Allen adds, referring to a line in Dylan’s letter that directly calls out actors including Allen regular Diane Keaton and Cate Blanchett, who is in the running for Best Actress at this year’s Academy Awards for her performance in Allen’s “Blue Jasmine.”
The scandal has been an uncomfortable one for all of Hollywood. Allen was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes in January, which prompted Mia Farrow to tweet that she would be turning off the broadcast.
Son Ronan sent a tweet blasting the Globes for honoring his estranged father: “Missed the Woody Allen tribute – did they put the part where a woman publicly confirmed he molested her at age 7 before or after Annie Hall?” Ronan Farrow wrote on Jan. 13, referring to Dylan’s accusations.
Stars have weighed in on the sensitive subject as best they could. Barbara Walters gave an ardent defense of Allen on ABC’s “The View” this week, saying he is “a good man,” while “View” guest Rosie O’Donnell, herself a victim of sexual abuse, said she firmly believed Dylan.
“No one wants to discourage abuse victims from speaking out, but one must bear in mind that sometimes there are people who are falsely accused and that is also a terribly destructive thing,” Allen wrote, adding that the op-ed would be his final word on the matter.
His op-ed is the latest rehash of the same legalese, distortions, and outright lies he has leveled at me for the past 20 years. He insists my mother brought criminal charges – in fact, it was a pediatrician who reported the incident to the police based on my firsthand account. He suggests that no one complained of his misconduct prior to his assault on me – court documents show that he was in treatment for what his own therapist described as “inappropriate” behavior with me from as early as 1991.
The post Dylan Farrow Fires Back at Woody Allen Defense: ‘Legalese, Distortions, Outright Lies’ appeared first on TheWrap.
Woody Allen Answers Sexual Assault Claims ... in 1992 (Video)
Dylan Farrow's Brother Defends Woody Allen Against Sister's Sexual Abuse Claims