Dylan Farrow Accuses Father Woody Allen of Sex Abuse

[Cheylana]

There are some things that are considered beyond the pale to some people. I personally know a pedephile who molested my niece when she was 8 yrs old. (She never told until many years later so he was never prosecuted.) To this day he makes excuses for what he did - he was young too (16), he was molested himself, it was just play that went "a little" too far. If he ever completely took responsibility & said "I was wrong" without any qualifiers it would be much easier not to view him as a monster.

He sounds like a typical child molester - making excuses, justifying the behavior...it's all about them.

 

[Sparks]

He sounds like a typical child molester - making excuses, justifying the behavior...it's all about them.

Yes. And with a lot of child molesters (like I met in my work), they think they did nothing wrong. They really think it's okay. No one can can tell them differently.

 

[Deleted member 19433]

I saw this linked on Facebook and was reminded of the discussion here. It reinforces a point I tried to make earlier about how our approach to child abuse (and in particular sexual abuse) clearly isn't working, because there's almost NO attempt at prevention, which is obviously FAR preferable if possible than dealing with the fallout through the justice system only after lives have been ruined (that's IF the victim(s) come forward and there'is enough evidence to convict). Victims need to be encouraged to come forward and not have a stigma attached to that, because I can't imagine keeping it all inside is healthy and it could prevent the perpetrator from offending against more children. Unfortunately, once someone has offended they can and often do continue offending if they keep getting away with it, as we can see from the Jerry Sandusky case for example. However, we also need people to feel like they can seek help for problematic thoughts and desires BEFORE they ever act on them. Everyone who does end up offending has a first time, and if we could get even some of the potential abusers to seek help before that first time, we could probably prevent a lot of abuse. I'm sure there are some people with inappropriate sexual desires who truly see nothing wrong with taking advantage of children and therefore wouldn't seek help (and would, and do , probably become abusers if the opportunity arises), but obviously some do want help as this story indicates.

That said, viewing child porn is a sex offense in itself and is kind of brushed off in the story. I assume he probably can't be arrested for that if he's no longer in possession of any, and he was also a minor himself when he viewed it, but I'm surprised the initial therapist didn't report that (to authorities, not just his mom). I'm not totally sure what the guidelines around that are, but the fear of reporting is obviously a major issue that prevents people from seeking help but one would think he'd be more careful and not disclose (then-current) viewing of hardcore child porn right off the bat. Sentences for possessing child porn are extremely severe in the U.S., sometimes more than for actually molesting a child. Is it worth striking so much fear into people who might have looked at bad things but not touched any children themselves yet that they don't seek help before they do? Jesse Ryan Loskarn (whose suicide letter and story I posted on the last page) never did end up abusing an actual child but ended up arrested for child porn and committing suicide. Wouldn't if have been better if he had felt safe talking to someone about his issues early on?

http://www.upworthy.com/this-19-yea...ar-a-child-and-he-needs-you-to-hear-his-story

 

[Artistic Skaters]

I missed the discussion about this in 2014 as well as the original commentary by Dylan Farrow. But today I read both, after reading this scathing column by Ronan Farrow in The Hollywood Reporter.

*** My Father, Woody Allen, and the Danger of Questions Unasked :

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/my-father-woody-allen-danger-892572

Despite Dylan Farrow's damning allegations of sexual abuse, the director of Cannes' opening film today remains beloved by stars, paid by Amazon and rarely interrogated by media as his son, Ronan Farrow, writes about the culture of acquiescence surrounding his father.

He targets the media & the actors, but also says he is ashamed of his own actions regarding issues of sexual abuse including his treatment of a Cosby biographer:

*** Here’s the Cosby-oriented interview that Ronan Farrow laments :

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blog...oriented-interview-that-ronan-farrow-laments/

“I’m ashamed of that interview,” writes Farrow. With good reason, too. It wasn’t long after that interview that the media finally started taking seriously all the Cosby accusers. In a November 2014 media column, David Carr of the New York Times held to account not only Whitaker and others, but also himself. “Those in the know also included me,” wrote Carr. “In 2011, I did a Q. and A. with Mr. Cosby for Hemispheres magazine, the in-flight magazine of United Airlines, and never found the space or the time to ask him why so many women had accused him of drugging and then assaulting them.” Whitaker ended up admitting he was wrong for having failed to pursue the allegations.

I have seen almost all of Woody Allen's movies, & have watched my favorites like The Purple Rose of Cairo, Annie Hall, Radio Days & Stardust Memories numerous times. But I have now read enough to know I will no longer watch another Woody Allen film.

 

[rjblue]

I haven't watched any Woody Allen since this thread was started.

I read Ronan's piece today, and almost linked it on my Facebook, I found it so thought provoking and moving.

I just wish so many people in the movie industry were not so willing to work with him. It doesn't take a criminal conviction to be certain that someone is guilty. (See R.Kelly)

 

[agalisgv]

It's interesting how different Woody Allen and Roman Polanski have been treated in Hollywood compared to Cosby.

 

[rjblue]

I don't know. The stories and accusers were around for decades and glossed over and dismissed because of Cosby's lovable image.

I think the tide has finally turned, in the sense that people are beginning to understand that the traditional "reasonable doubt" does not apply well to these kinds of cases. It might not result in more criminal conviction, but it means that the abusers are beginning to lose in the court of public opinion.

 

[agalisgv]

abusers are beginning to lose in the court of public opinion.

Are you seeing that with Allen? To me, it seems he's been gaining in popularity rather than declining--particularly after Dylan's testimony. I'd like to see the tide turn, but I'm seeing public opinion and the opinion of Hollywood rather selectively deployed, unfortunately.

 

[rjblue]

No, I meant that it is encouraging that Cosby has finally become the pariah he should have been a long time ago.

But the fact that Ronan's piece is trending on Facebook, and the details of Woody's past are once again getting attention is also encouraging. Every time it comes up, he loses fans. And maybe at some point the bulk of the movie industry will ostracise him. (I can hope)

 

[VGThuy]

I think it helped in Cosby's case that so many of the women came out, including Beverly Johnson (sad to say but her celebrity gave more credence to the allegations) and then Janice Dickinson . If it was one or a handful of women, then I can see people continually ignoring like it had been for decades. I haven't really seen much going on with Roman Polanski lately (this generation seems more aware and educated of sexual assault than even a decade ago when he won the Oscar), but I haven't been following him. He had his fair share of outrage during he was back in the news for The Pianist, but it was nothing like what Cosby got, and I bet there are still people defending it as not "rape rape" or accusing his victim and her mother of being opportunists who wanted the sex or whatever BS is passed around.

As for Woody Allen, I think a lot of people really like his movies so they're more prone to defending him. Some may also think his estranged daughter may have been brainwashed to hate him via Mia Farrow and add that with her age at the time of the alleged incident, it gives people an excuse to continue to be doubtful. However, as big of a fan I am of his movies, I cannot say I can continue to support him anymore. The more I thought about it, and the various themes of his films with older man/younger woman dynamics being so...normal as if they're nothing and not worth commenting on in his films, even though he skewered that really well in Husbands and Wives with Juliette Lewis's character making fun of it and really criticizing what is essentially Woody Allen's whole body of work. However, I wonder how much of that was just a preemptive strike so that would-be critics would think it's ok that he did that in his real life with Soon-Yi just because he was aware and critical of it. That just made me wonder about his attitudes towards women, especially young women, and possible inappropriate conduct towards them. Right now, it seems a lot of A-list actors are still willing to work with him because he does write great roles that don't come along too often for actors, but let's see how long that continues if Ronan Farrow's and even now Kristen Stewart's take down on Woody Allen continues to capture the younger people's attention. They'll be the major movie buying force and they may not be as tolerant of Allen's personal life as older generations have been.

Maybe race is an issue and I'm not one to not give credence to anybody who thinks it was easier to have a tide turn against Cosby because of that, but I also think the sheer number of women and the fact that a lot of his biggest accusers were fellow black comedians and then some co-stars also majorly contributed.

ETA: Edited to fix major typos and sentence structure issues.

 

[overedge]

Woody Allen and his older-man younger-girl thing was creeping me out long before any of the allegations about him. Not only because it kept reoccuring in his films, but also that he didn't notice, or didn't care, that it stretched the bounds of credibility in his storylines. So I quit watching his stuff because I felt that my intelligence as a viewer/consumer was being insulted over and over again. The allegations just confirmed that I made the right decision.

 

[MacMadame]

I stopped watching Woody Allen films after he ran off with Soon-Yi. It just creeped me out too much and also I felt like he crossed a line because she was basically his daughter.

 

[Cachoo]

Bill Maher was aghast when people put Cosby and Allen in the same sentence. He doesn't see Allen the way he sees Cosby and Polanski. The discussion ended quickly before the debate started and the panel moved on to another topic so I didn't know the basis of Maher's reasoning.

 

[Lorac]

I stopped watching Woody Allen films after he ran off with Soon-Yi. It just creeped me out too much and also I felt like he crossed a line because she was basically his daughter.

Me too. I have probably missed some good movies because of my decision but I felt then as well as now that Woody Allen is a child predator and I refused to give him any money to allow him to continue on that path.

 

[clairecloutier]

Me too. I have probably missed some good movies because of my decision but I felt then as well as now that Woody Allen is a child predator and I refused to give him any money to allow him to continue on that path.

Agree with this--I have not seen any of his movies since news broke of his relationship with Soon Yi.

 

[VGThuy]

I also want to add that I originally wrote, "Kristen Stewart's take down" when I meant to say people taking down Kristen Stewart's defense for working with Woody Allen. There's been some attention and criticism of her comments.

 

[my little pony]

woody allen joke at cannes with woody and soon yi in attendance:

http://www.celebitchy.com/485262/wo...paring_him_to_polanski_during_cannes_opening/

i am so here for this! blake lively didnt think the joke was appropriate but she can't have it both ways.

 

[manhn]

There's always criticism of Stewart. She's hardly the only person to work with Allen since the scandal broke out. I too haven't seen any of his films since Soon Yi.

 

[Cachoo]

If you are super successful and it is he said/she said people don't care. Just ask Polanski and Michael Jackson. With Cosby there are so many accusations that it is impossible to ignore. But had it remained a few women against Cosby I think the world would still be embracing Cosby.

And all mentioned are supposedly innocent until proven guilty right? But what do you do if there is never going to be a trial? With all of the Ray Donovan type "fixers" in Hollywood I wonder how many folks we admire might be appalling behind closed doors.

 

[susan6]

Ronan Farrow might be able to see all of this from a less personal angle due to the strong likelihood that Woody is not actually his father. (Seriously, look at that guy and then look at Frank Sinatra. I want to know if Ronan can sing.)

If you are super successful and it is he said/she said people don't care. Just ask Polanski and Michael Jackson.

Yeah, I've avoided Allen and Polanski movies, not only because these guys are scummy but also because their type of movies are not my thing. But Michael Jackson....that's awesome stuff and I just have to hope that the rumors and accusations aren't true.

 

[Cachoo]

Ronan Farrow might be able to see all of this from a less personal angle due to the strong likelihood that Woody is not actually his father. (Seriously, look at that guy and then look at Frank Sinatra. I want to know if Ronan can sing.)



Yeah, I've avoided Allen and Polanski movies, not only because these guys are scummy but also because their type of movies are not my thing. But Michael Jackson....that's awesome stuff and I just have to hope that the rumors and accusations aren't true.

Yes, what do you do to make sure you never hear a Michael Jackson tune again? Not easy.

 

[MacMadame]

And all mentioned are supposedly innocent until proven guilty right?

In a court of law. In the US and any countries that have that standard, which not all do. Personally, I don't think it's the required standard for me to have an opinion on someone's behavior.

Yes, what do you do to make sure you never hear a Michael Jackson tune again? Not easy.

You don't have to never hear one of his songs again but you can not buy any of his music or films.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Even today it's so odd how he describes his relationship when it comes to Soon Yi. In the Hollywood Reporter interview, he still insists on bringing up the "she was eating out of trash cans" story to show all he has done for her over the years. Yet he never seems to bring up that said influence by him didn't even start until much later because he admittedly (according to the judge's ruling in 1990s) ignored her & wanted little to do with her for at least the first 10 years of their acquaintance.

 

[VGThuy]

In my Family Law class, I remember reading the judge's decision on the custody case with Farrow and Allen's shared children, and I think the idea that he wanted nothing to do with Soon-Yi is used to bolster both his and Soon-Yi's assertion that she never saw him as a father figure (her adoptive father was Andrei Previn) and that it wasn't a weird relationship because of that and how it shouldn't hinder his fitness as a parent. The judge said those two may have thought of it that way but the three kids saw Soon-Yi as their sister and saw Allen as their father and they didn't compartalmentalize Allen and Soon-Yi's relationship the way they did. To them Allen was a father and she was a sister so she was essentially like a daughter to him in the eyes of Farrow and Allen's shared children. I can't argue with that at all.

 

[meggonzo]

I can't believe I've never heard this story about Dylan Farrow. I must be living under a rock. I've only recall ever seeing one Woody Allen movie - Midnight in Paris. I actually really liked it, maybe because Owen Wilson played the lead instead of Woody himself? I don't think I'll watch another one though.

 

[snoopy]

Regarding the difference in treatment wrt Cosby and Allen, I think the biggest difference is Allen can still make people money and Cosby couldn't. Much more motivation to hang on to Woody. Cha-Ching.