December 08, 2017
Dylan Farrow, the adopted daughter of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, is asking why the director has not suffered the same fate as other powerful men in Hollywood accused of sexual misconduct.
In an opinion piece published by the Los Angeles Times on Thursday, Farrow describes her anger over Allen maintaining his career, despite her allegation that he sexually assaulted her in their home when she was seven years old.
Farrow first shared her account with Vanity Fair in 2013.
Allen has consistently denied the allegation and was not criminally charged.
Allen's publicist released a statement to CNN on Friday in response to Farrow's piece.
"Dylan Farrow's allegations against Woody Allen, which she first made 25 years ago, have been thoroughly examined by law enforcement officials and child welfare investigators," the statement reads. "The investigators concluded unambiguously that Dylan Farrow was not sexually abused. No charges were ever filed, and the reason is simple: because Woody Allen is innocent."
In 1993, then Connecticut State's Attorney Frank Maco told reporters he believed there was probable cause to arrest Allen, but said he decided not to press charges to prevent "exposing the child to possible harm."
Farrow, now 32, wrote in her column that this is not a "he said, child said" situation, citing family and friends who witnessed Allen's "pattern of inappropriate" behavior with her.
There have been no other public allegations of sexual misconduct levied against Allen.
Farrow also questioned what she views as a double standard in Hollywood.
"Why is it that Harvey Weinstein and other accused celebrities have been cast out by Hollywood, while Allen recently secured a multimillion-dollar distribution deal with Amazon, greenlit by former Amazon Studios executive Roy Price before he was suspended over sexual misconduct allegations," she wrote.
Related: Amazon Studios head Roy Price resigns amid harassment allegations, company says
Price has yet to respond to the allegations or requests for comment.
Farrow, whose brother Ronan Farrow's reporting helped topple Weinstein, wrote in her piece, "We are in the midst of a revolution."
"From allegations against studio heads and journalists, to hotel maids recounting abuses on the job, women are exposing the truth and men are losing their jobs," she writes. "But the revolution has been selective."
Farrow also criticized female actors who have worked with Allen, including Kate Winslet, Blake Lively and Greta Gerwig, who have spoken out against Weinstein but not Allen.
"It breaks my heart when women and men I admire work with Allen, then refuse to answer questions about it," Farrow wrote.
"It isn't just power that allows men accused of sexual abuse to keep their careers and their secrets. It is also our collective choice to see simple situations as complicated and obvious conclusions as a matter of 'who can say,'" she said. "The system worked for Harvey Weinstein for decades. It works for Woody Allen still."