Dylan Farrow is calling out celebrities who protest sexual misconduct but worked with Woody Allen
Although 2017 saw a wave of celebrities speaking out against accused sexual abusers like Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, and Louis C.K., one name was conspicuously missing from the list. Woody Allen. Dylan Farrow, Allen’s adopted daughter who accused him of sexual abuse when she was a child, is wondering why the Time’s Up movement hasn’t affected Allen.
At the 2018 Golden Globe Awards, actresses and actors dressed in all black in a show of solidarity with the women who had made allegations this past year. Many also brought activists as their dates, and their efforts were in collaboration with the newly founded anti-harassment organization Time’s Up. But Farrow questioned why Allen was absent from the conversation, saying that every victim needed to be heard in order to bring about change.
"Advocating for 'every victim' in the abstract is great for illustration," she tweeted on January 8th. "In practice, each victim is a real person with a story that may be inconvenient and require sacrifice to stand with them. If Hollywood isn't prepared to do that, they shouldn't try to lead this movement."
Advocating for “every victim” in the abstract is great for illustration. In practice, each victim is a real person with a story that may be inconvenient and require sacrifice to stand with them. If Hollywood isn’t prepared to do that, they shouldn’t try to lead this movement.
— Dylan Farrow (@RealDylanFarrow) January 8, 2018
Allegations that Allen had molested Farrow first arose in the ’90s. But despite the fact that he lost custody of Farrow in 1993 due to the allegations, Allen has continued to direct and has even won Oscars since the accusations surfaced. In December, Farrow wrote an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times asking why the #MeToo movement had passed over Allen. And before the Golden Globes on January 7th, Farrow tweeted her disappointment that Allen had received the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2014 and has continued to be honored.
It’s #GoldenGlobes Sunday. Four years ago, at the Globes in 2014, Woody Allen was awarded the Cecil B. DeMille award for lifetime achievement. Four years ago I decided enough was enough and wrote an open letter detailing the abuse I sustained at the hands of Woody Allen. /1
— Dylan Farrow (@RealDylanFarrow) January 7, 2018
I thought it would make a difference. I thought things would change. I learned quickly (and painfully) that my optimism was misplaced. His time wasn’t up. /2
— Dylan Farrow (@RealDylanFarrow) January 7, 2018
Today, four years later, it is Globes Sunday again and many, if not most, will be wearing black on the red carpet in solidarity with the #TIMESUP movement. They will stand against sexual harassment and abuse in their industry and all others. Good. I stand with them. #metoo /3
— Dylan Farrow (@RealDylanFarrow) January 7, 2018
But I have to wonder – is time really up now? Is this really the turning point? I have no doubt it can be. I have no doubt the time is right. But in order for things to meaningfully change, they need to change unequivocally. /4
— Dylan Farrow (@RealDylanFarrow) January 7, 2018
Farrow’s tweet thread calls out Hollywood’s hypocrisy in the way in which it treats Allen. On January 7th, when asked about previously working with Allen on the film To Rome with Love, director Greta Gerwig avoided discussing the accusations against Allen, saying only that she had “thought deeply about” her involvement in the film. And Cate Blanchett, who starred in Allen’s movie Blue Valentine, has been similarly vague in her comments on Farrow’s accusations.
Holding men accused of sexual abuse responsible for their actions is crucial in the fight for equality. And while we’re glad to see the women of Hollywood taking a stand, we agree with Farrow that all accused abusers need to be held accountable, including Allen.
