At a lunch for reporters on Thursday afternoon, Woody Allen spoke out for the first time about a controversial rape joke that was part of last night’s opening night ceremony at the Cannes Film Festival.
“I am completely in favor of comedians making any jokes they want,” Allen said to a question asked by Variety. “I am a non-judgmental or [non]-censorship person on jokes. I’m a comic myself and I feel they should be free to make whatever jokes they want.”
At last night’s 69th annual Cannes opening night premiere of Allen’s comedy “Café Society,” master of ceremonies Laurent Lafitte shocked the audience when he said: “It’s very nice that you’ve been shooting so many movies in Europe, even if you are not being convicted for rape in the U.S.” The joke, which drew gasps from the Palais audience, was taken as a knock on Allen and possibly on director Roman Polanski as well.
But apparently, Allen wasn’t upset. “It would take a lot to offend me,” he continued. “What bothered me most last night was the length of the show before the movie. I’m sitting there. I know I have a movie that’s an hour and a half, I would like the introduction ceremony to be 20 minutes, half hour at the most. I don’t want you to spend an hour on the show. By the time my movie comes around at the end, you’re antsy in your seat. To me, that is the mistake of the show. It goes on for too long. Cut that down.”
Vanity Fair’s Julie Miller then asked about the Ronan Farrow guest column published in The Hollywood Reporter yesterday, about how the media didn’t take seriously the rape allegations made by his sister Dylan Farrow against their father. Allen said he hadn’t read the piece.
“I never read anything about me, these interviews I do, anything,” Allen said. “I said everything I had to say about that whole issue in The New York Times. I have moved so far past it. I never think about it. I work. I said I was never going to comment on it again. I said everything I have to say about it.”
When asked by Variety if he’ll ever read the piece, Allen responded with a lengthy answer — that compared a son’s indictment of his father to a bad review.
“I never read anything,” Allen said. “I never read what you say about me or the reviews of my film. I made the decision I think five years ago never to read a review of my movie. Never read an interview. Never read anything, because you can easily become obsessed with yourself. [It’s] a bad idea to consume yourself with this stuff. You should do your work, not call up and find out how the grosses are, how is the film doing, how are the reviews. Forget about all that. Just work. It’s worked for me. I’ve been very productive over the years by not thinking about myself. I don’t like to hear that a critic thinks my film is a masterpiece and I don’t like to hear that a critic thinks my film misses.”
“But this isn’t a critic,” a Variety reporter followed up. “It’s your son.”
Allen said he still won’t read the piece. “I’ve said all I have to say about it,” he said.
He’s right about the movie critics. They’re total losers who’ve never made a movie. Seriously.
Son?! Ronan is not Allen’s son! Ronan is Sinatra’s son! Amateur journalism. Can’t get the simplest facts straight.
I see a strong correlation metaphor between Mia Farrow & Blue Jasmine’s character (C Blanchett). Both vent their rage (“hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”).In Jasmine’s case,in a fit of rage, she ratted on her husband to the FBI after he told her he was leaving her for a younger woman (but she’d be well taken care of). She did not realize that one phonecall would wreck havoc on so many lives. Her husband committed suicide, her stepson was humiliated and dropped out of college not wanting to see her anymore and her sister lost her financial investment. The realization of what she did made her suffer such GUILT, it caused her nervous breakdown. Mia Farrow’s revenge against Woody (for leaving her & marrying Sun ye and selfishly dragging her daughter & family through such emotional turmoil} has not caused such self-guilt. She must be made of sterner stuff.
I am a mother but I do not like what is happening here. It seems like random people have concrete proof of guilt in this case. Do you have proof? If not, stop feeding this. I am concerned that with the spawning of social media where every Joe has his say, there is a danger of mob rule. Let’s be careful here. Let’s not have a situation where social media becomes a tool for hatred – the pawn of deliberately malicious people serving their own ends. And social media quickly becomes very anti-social media.
Of course he has nothing to say, he got away with molesting his biological daughter when she was 7 and got away with sleeping with his underaged common law daughter and then marrying her and people want to pretend it didn’t happen because he is a good film maker. I get it, he is a good film maker, he is also a man who a court deemed in a legal ruling to be a threat to his then 7 year old daughter and deemed to have acted sexual inappropriately (all in court documents you can now find with a simple google search). Say you like him as a film maker but let’s not pretend that he hasn’t molested his own biological daughter.
Woody Allen has only one biological child, Ronan Farrow (formerly Satchel Allen). He did adopt Dylan, as well as Moses, so just remove the world ‘biological’.
You need to stop pretending. The “court documents” you keep spouting have been read and re-read.
The pediatrician said NO SIGN OF MOLESTATION. Her therapist said she did not see the relationship as sexual. No evidence anywhere.
The problem with this whole incident is, as Woody himself says, is not that the joke was told, but that it just wasn’t funny.
As a comment or joke about Polanski and about the US, it is funny.
For some reason I can’t reply to “No” directly. Woody Allen has made a bunch of films in Europe, just like Polanski did; except Polanski had a reason for not making films in the US (the rape conviction), where as Woody Allen didn’t. Woody Allen just opted to do it in Europe. Actually I suppose it is more of a joke about Europe and Polanski than anything.
I suppose the joke would be more obvious if Woody Allen had opted to make movies in places that people don’t consider to be desirable destination like North Korea, Iraq or Afghanistan.
The relevance of Polanski is that he was convicted of statutory rape; whereas Woody Allen was not. Polanski didn’t choose to make films in Europe, he had to stay out of the States. On the other hand Woody Allen was never convicted of rape and so his European film making was voluntary.
The joke is a comparison of the different motivations Woody Allen and Polanski have for being in Europe.
It’s really not relevant as a joke about Polanski, since Polanski WAS convicted of rape in the U.S.
The young woman with no job or career, the son, a mediocrity and failure, the aging actress with no future. This is the light of their lives. This is what gives their lives meaning.
he’s right… nothing new has come out about any of this. to the younger generation… we went through this 25 years ago. ronan and dylan are repeating the same exact accusation. nothing is new or different. woody has already responded. so why does woody need to repeat his denials? why does the press need him to do it. it’s like refreshing a page on the internet and nothing new pops up.
btw: allen passed a lie detector test 20 plus years ago. was not charged. and moses farrow, mia farrow’s son (dylan and ronan’s brother) came out 2 years ago and told the world they are all lying to get back at allen for cheating on their mom with soon yi who he is still married to 20 plus years later)…
Woody Allen never took a polygraph, as there was no mention of a polygraph in any court documents relating to either the child custody case, nor the molestation case. Nor has there ever been any evidence proffered by him or his attorney of any kind of polygraph results. The polygraph was briefly mentioned by his attorney at the time and by Mr. Allen during an interview with 60 Minutes. But, again, no results were given, nor the name of the examiner who gave Mr. Allen the polygraph. Nor did Mia Farrow ever refuse to take a polygraph. Additionally, polygraphs are not admissible in courts. We only have the word of Mr. Allen and his attorney that he “passed a polygraph”. I could tell you I am the Queen of England….it doesn’t make it true.
Mia Farrow is an awful human being, she wanted to make people think that MAYBE Sinatra was Rowan’s father, this upset Sinatra’s widow, his children and his friends. As for Rowan Farrow, he’s a bore, he’s trying to restart his carrier. The Farrow’s are scum, don’t fall for their lies.
Farrow is the one who needs the polygraph! The NYPD investigated, found nothing, and that was it. The entire Farrow family have a sociopathic obsession with Allen and they will go to their deaths with their obsessions.
Some random thoughts here: 1. Every time Mr. Allen has a new film coming out, Mia Farrow and Ronan Sinatra – er – Ronan Farrow predictably hit the media to bash him; it’s getting kinda tired, folks. 2. Mr. Allen and his wife Soon-Yi have been married now for something like a quarter of a century…much longer than he spent common law with his former partner/colleague Mia Farrow; clearly this is a partnership that has lasted and sustained. 3. Nothing I have read (and there have been reams published over the years) leads me to conclusively believe that Mr. Allen sexually molested anybody in that large, unwieldy, complex brood of theirs. 4. Mother and son should cease draggin’ Dylan’s name through the media cesspool; they are in effect repeatedly victimizing HER. 5. I have always admired Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, separately and as a team; I will continue to support Mia’s social activism (though I wish she’d perform more) …and Woody’s film-making, as I always have. But to mother and son: give it a rest already. Thanks.
Mia Farrow has said nothing. Ronan Farrow is a grown man and is speaking his own mind. He is defending his sister. If you have supposedly read “reams” on this case, you clearly haven’t read the court documents. If you had, you wouldn’t state that there is nothing to lead you to believe that Mr. Allen did not molest Dylan. Because the court documents paint a very unflattering picture of Mr. Allen. It was Mr. Allen who sued Mia Farrow for custody, not the other way around. Yet, the courts gave sole custody, WITHOUT visitation, to Mia Farrow. The therapists involved clearly state that Mr. Allen was a terrible parent who lacked empathy and patience. And this wasn’t just the family court. This was the appellate court, too. And, as far as Dylan went, the courts found his behavior very disturbing and ruled that he was to never be alone with Dylan. Also, the Connecticut State’s Attorney found sufficient evidence to prosecute Mr. Allen but did not go forward because Dylan had been so traumatized by the very public custody battle and both the SA and Mia Farrow felt that it was in Dylan’s best interest not to put her through another very public criminal trial. She was just too fragile. And, since Mia Farrow had already gained sole custody without visitation, she felt Dylan was safe. So, they decided to not put Dylan through more trauma. It’s all there in the court files and past news clips.
Um. I READ the court docs, and yes there is NOTHING THERE.
The pediatrician who examined Dylan stated there was no sign of molestation.
Dylan’s own therapist stated that she did not see the relationship as sexual.
Mia Farrow’s earlier husbands dumped her quickly. Woody should have seen
the warning signs.
Farrow is washed up and plays the only card she holds, rehash the past. Get on with your life Mia. Mr Allens wife was never adopted by him, and was of the age of majority when they began their relationship. Maybe some desparate person will develope a Rosemarys Baby Two, so Mia can work again.
“But this isn’t a critic,” a Variety reporter followed up. “It’s Frank Sinatra’s son.”
FTFY, Variety. ;)
It shouldn’t be up to Woody to refute those (most likely) baseless claims. It’s up to the accuser to bolster them. It’s sickening how public rape accusations have become fashionable.
That’s what happens when a system continually fails its victims. Backroom agreements and threats can’t happen as easily when it’s public. Bill Cosby is an example. The evolution of how college campuses have changed their response is an example. The truth is, if Woody Allen didn’t make so much money for people in Hollywood, nobody would give a sh*t about protecting him. Lively included.
No, the real victim here is Woody who is being judged as guilty in the court of public opinion no matter what investigations show. It’s amazing that people are willing to throw away due process and presumption of innocence just because an accusation is made. That is the very opposite of rule of law. You might hate Woody for marrying his step daughter, but that is exactly zero proof of him being a child molester. For anyone who hasn’t swallowed the Farrow Kool-Aid it’s blatantly obvious that she has brainwashed her kids in a caustic divorce battle.
Sexual predators repeat their acts.
Nothing before, since, and not one shred of evidence anywhere that anything happened.
But he approaches this the way any true-blue narcissist would — ‘I don’t care. I don’t read about it. I just work, it’s worked for ME before.” No matter what anyone says, he’s going to be and act impervious to what anyone says (never mind that people give him work, no matter what).
Lets remember, folks. This is a man who screwed his daughter/step-daughter/adopted daughter/whatever you want to call her. She was the daughter of his partner. She was under-age. She had siblings, this was a family fabric that was ripped apart by his actions, no matter how weird a family it was. And that every single one of his statements have never addressed this. He says, “I don’t care.” And in THR, “I did so much for her, my now-wife. Thank God I found her, and that I helped her. Lucky her.” Even, “If it’s a joke at my expense, or a double-entendre about me that people laugh at, I don’t care. I don’t take it in.” I, I, I, I, I… Not, “Wow, other people were hurt.” Or, “I hear what they’re saying, I’m sorry I hurt people.” Or “I feel badly about how others felt.” Just I, I, I, I.
All this emotional disconnect from Woody Allen about his actions, AND an accusation that he molested another daughter. So he made off with one daughter, after having possibly molested another (and both of them well under age.)
It’s true that this is a family’s private business. And that in the end, there were no charges against him (though there are transcripts of the case and non-proceedings that are extremely interesting to read, and were posted in Vanity Fair). So there was no case, and he wasn’t proven guilty, nor innocent, nor anything. And no one else has come forward about this, other than Mariel Hemingway, who said that he offered to take her on a trip when she was 15, and that she knew that Woody had been expecting her to share his bed (and let’s say for argument’s sake, that his daughter Dylan is telling the truth — other weird behavior of his that she claims, that he insisted he get into bed with her when she was very little, and sucking her thumb.)
All this is very weird behavior from one man, indeed. Let’s put it in perspective — his actions that we *know* of have been extremely transgressive, while his comments are out of touch. True, other celebrities date much younger women, etc. But this is a filmmaking auteur who is not just high-proflie, but who keeps making the same movie over and over again about older men dating younger women. About temptation. About neurotics who sound just like him. A shrink could suggest that his career is his is one long amazing, neurotic exercise on his behalf (though, yes, not without genius.) Never mind that he directs media images that millions watch, he has that power (though his films just make you wonder if there’s something wrong with him. They’re not child porn.)
The Farrow family, messy as they might be, are framing this up the wrong way — in terms of, “We’re so hurt.” But what about, “Take a look at the Big Picture of Woody Allen”?
All this said, why hasn’t there been a court case? Cause there certainly is one in the court of public opinion, and it persists.
Your facts are wrong. She was 21 when Mia found the photos. Mr Allen never adopted her Soon Yi. There is no evidence of a physical relationship prior to her being 18. There WERE court cases. Ironic your name is Facts when you can not get them straight.
Dylan’s pediatrician found no evidence of penetration, no evidence of anything.
That Vanity Fair “article” is scurrilous, IMHO. Did you trouble yourself to check out the sources?
It was written by Luke (legacy idiot of NBC) Russert’s idiot mother.
Did you read the court documents?
Everybody knows Ronan is not Woody’s son. Mia was “dating” Frank Sinatra (her ex) throughout her involvement with Allen. Just look at Ronan’s face…he’s the spitting image of Frank and Mia. I believe Mia is so embittered about SoonYi prefering Allen to her that she poisoned the minds of her 2 youngest children against him and is still using them to attack him.
Ronan is the spitting image of his grandfather, John Farrow. He also resembles his grandmother, Maureen O’Sullivan. He bears no resemblance to Frank Sinatra. Frank Sinatra had a vasectomy long before Ronan Farrow was ever conceived. This according to his widow and his daughters. He was also nowhere near Mia Farrow at the time of Ronan’s conception. He was in Hawaii, recovering from surgery.
And yet…you hold no accountability for Woody’s actions? His own words about SoonYi were – I thought we’d just have an affair and be done with it. In what world is that okay? She was his partners child. You are a perfect example of what is wrong with society.
We live in a culture of looking the other way. The same powerful publicity machines that protected Bill Cosby for so many years, are doing the same to Woody Allen. Decades ago I was once encouraged to be silent, the damage of being silenced lingers still
One would hope that your own experience would make you more eager to find the truth, than to repeat a unsubstantiated accusation in the name of “not looking the other way”. Projecting victimhood helps no one.
Actually, they were not unsubstantiated. If you read the court documents, Woody Allen was already in mutually agreed upon counseling for inappropriate behavior with Dylan. The fact that the doctor found no evidence of “penetration” does not mean he didn’t molest her. And the fact that you would berate that woman with your snide little “projecting victimhood” remark says more about you than anything.
Spoken like a true public-relations firm.
For the first time he spoke, about a joke last night!!!! Isn’t that a little overly-dramatic? It must be hard on the news people to know that Woody, doesn’t care what you say. Perhaps I should be more like that and stop reading your junk too.
I personally did an exhaustive search for evidence, and found absolutely NOTHING to incriminate Woody Allen. A highly educated social worker interviewed Dylan, and felt that either the child was mentally ill, or had been heavily coached by Mia Farrow. Dylan’s own therapist said that she did not see the Allen/Dylan relationship as sexual.
Oddly, Mia Farrow’s brother was sentenced to 10 years in prison for molesting two children.
You clearly didn’t search for the right keywords. You need to Google “Allen vs Farrow” and you will find the court documents. And if you Google “Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Custody”, you will find the various articles. Also read the Maureen Orinth article, “Mama Mia”. Also Google “Andy Thibault”. He was the reporter in Connecticut who covered this story in depth. That should get you started.
Actually, I DID read the court documents. Maureen Orth?!! PFFFT! Here is just one web comment on her handiwork::
” She starts off by referring to a psychotherapist named Susan Coates who had been treating Woody Allen for “inappropriate” conduct with Dylan. In the next sentence, Orth adds that “He could not seem to keep his hands off her.”
If you take the trouble to do a little research on Coates, you will discover that she testified under oath that she “never observed him acting in a sexual way toward her.” She also stated that she warned Woody Allen that she feared for his safety because of threats made by Mia Farrow. What’s more, in an evaluation of Dylan she conducted in 1990 she found the girl easily “taken over by fantasy” when asked to describe something as simple as an apple tree. That’s according to the March 30, 1993 New York Times. Somehow all this failed to be reflected in Orth’s article.”
Several social workers interviewed Dylan and reached the conclusion that she had not just been coached, but actually indoctrinated. Dylan’s brother Moses has publically stated that the accusations were all concocted by Farrow and never came from Dylan originally. Farrow also made video tapes of Dylan making certain claims, using words that kids her age at the time would never use or understand. The saddest part of all of this is that at this point in her life, Dylan really does believe this happened to her.
That was the infamous Yale-New Haven report. And we don’t know what the team of psychologists/social workers thought. They destroyed their notes. The lead on the team, Dr. Leventhal, wrote the report but he never interviewed Dylan himself. He was far too enamored with Woody Allen. He was the one who labeled Dylan as “disturbed”. He would not allow any of the members of the team to testify, only be deposed. That doesn’t work in family court. The JUDGE needs to question them. The Yale-New Haven report was useless. Both the family court AND the appellate court didn’t give it much weight. If you had read the court transcripts and court reports, you’d know this.
Really? Where did you read that? That is not what the court documents say. Show your sources if you’re not just repeating pr drivel.
He probably will read it but he’s more than right to deny it. If he admitted to reading it, the snoops would only demand to know what he thought. And what damned business is it of theirs? Or of the public’s? Voyeurism and entitlement is way out of bounds these days. Every half-wit feels entitled to judge people they don’t know from Adam.
So good for him. This is the way to shut them up. And make them their own business.
And, I’d add that the media half-wits write and make up stories for money. Go back and re-read the opening of this article. I laughed out loud, “For the first time since last night….” it’s so funny and sickening. It only happened last night, was a stupid joke by a lame, overly long entertainer but the entire world waits on pins and needles (which I doubt, highly) to know — what will Woody say since LAST NIGHT.” And his loser son, at least Woody still has a show. It’s so funny, I can’t stop laughing.
Now go get your fucking shinebox
Bravo, Woody
It seems to me as if Mr. Woody Allen has brought down a “Cone of Silence” over himself. So that he has become not unlike the Wicked Witch in “The Wiz.” To wit: Don’t nobody bring me no bad news.”
In his case, however, he includes good news, too, so that converts to “No news is good news.” because he would not remain inside his cone of silence were it at all painful.
And regarding the joke’s: “possibly Roman Polanski” I say “definitely Roman.”
Also, good on Variety for not shying away from asking the tough questions of the elder Mr. Allan Konigsberg aka Woody Allen. No offense intended for including his birth name.
“And regarding the joke’s: ‘possibly Roman Polanski’ I say ‘definitely Roman.'”
Again, let’s put it through Google’s Joke Translator:
“Roman Polanski can’t make a film in North America…Woody hasn’t made a film in North America with non-European investors since 2004.” That’s, um, IT, pretty much. No one ever accused the Jerry Lewis Country of having the most tasteful sense of humor.
The idea of uttering “sexual indiscretions” within the same radius as Woody brought out the same conspiracy theories that haven’t died for the last twenty-five years, but that’s the fault of the listener.
(And as someone who still stares in horror and puzzlement at someone who says they “don’t get” The Fatal Glass of Beer, I take particular issue with people who say they Don’t Get Jokes, or try to get them the wrong way. I can’t help it, it’s just a thing of mine from way back.)
Since Woody’s depressive atheism manifests itself into the usual cynical narcissistic “mind your own business and don’t ban anything” libertarianism, he hasn’t read the joke either, thought it WAS about his past scandals, and bluffed his personal response accordingly. Uh, psst, it isn’t. Reading is fundamental.
Where are the tough questions to the persons making public rape allegations? It’s sickening how Mia Farrow has used and abused her kids in her divorce.
(A) Mia Farrow and Woody Allen were never married. (B) Mia Farrow did not initially sue Woody Allen for custody. It was Woody Allen who sued Mia Farrow for custody, which forced Mia Farrow to countersue for custody. (C) Prior to the molestation allegations, Woody Allen had been in therapy for his inappropriate behavior towards Dylan and there had been a standing order in Mia’s home that Mr, Allen was to never be left alone with Dylan. (D) Mia was not the one who reported Mr. Allen to child services. Dylan’s pediatrician did, as the pediatrician was a mandatory reporter. Mia was quoted as saying, to her attorney, that she had hoped that it was just one of Dylan’s fantasies. (E) Mr. Allen was the one who sued for custody but he LOST custody, including visitation because he was deemed an inappropriate parent who lacked empathy and patience with Ronan and Moses and behaved very inappropriately with Dylan. If you would read the actual court records, instead of going on idle gossip, you’d know more.