Kate Winslet upset fans with her description of accused child molester Woody Allen

Once again, Kate Winslet is facing backlash for defending Woody Allen, the controversial director who has been accused of child molestation by his own adopted daughter. The actress recently spoke with the Sydney Morning Herald about starring in the director’s new film, Wonder Wheel, and in the interview she suggests that Woody Allen “is a woman.”

In talking about Allen’s feminine side, Winslet continued:

"I think on some level Woody is a woman. I just think he's very in touch with that side of himself. He understands the female characters he creates exceptionally well. His female characters are always so rich and large and honest in terms of how they're feeling and he just knows how to write dialogue for them to communicate all that."

The director’s body of work has been praised for decades, even after the accusations of sexual assault against him, and he has accumulated a cult following comprised of people who refuse to let go of his film genius. Though other actors have spoken out against him before, Winslet doesn’t seem to be one of them. When asked if these accusations played any role in her decision to work with Allen, she said, “Um, it’s a difficult discussion. I’d rather respectfully not enter it today.”

While Winslet isn’t alone in turning a blind eye to the realities of sexual assault allegations, her thoughts on Allen being a woman are not only insulting, but show how little she understands the extent to which the director’s actions hurt others. Allen being allowed to continue his career is an issue for all women in Hollywood.

Hopefully the criticism will broaden Winslet’s mind, and this will be the last Woody Allen project she works on.