Kate Winslet has finally addressed working with Woody Allen — sort of
Women in the entertainment industry have been coming out in waves to call out men in power who have abused their position in taking advantage of and abusing the women who worked for them. However, one man in the industry has seemed to, for whatever reason, dodge the accusations hurled against him. Woody Allen’s daughter, Dylan Farrow, has been extremely vocal about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her adoptive father, and yet he hasn’t had any trouble snagging A-list celebrities for his films.
Lately, however, people have finally started to take the filmmaker to task. And while more and more actors have announced they will no longer work with Allen again, one actor who has remained noticeably silent (and has even spoken out in support of Allen’s filmmaking prowess) is Kate Winslet. However, as Vanity Fair and the BBC report, Winslet has finally spoken out against Allen at the London Critics Circle Awards.
At least, she sort of did. While Winslet never mentions Allen by name, the actress explained that as she reflected on the Women’s March, she felt she had to speak out, expressing the “bitter regrets” she had “about poor decisions to work with individuals” like “directors, producers, and men of power who have for decades been awarded and applauded for their highly regarded work by both this industry and moviegoers alike” and that she wished she had not worked with them.
She went on to explain she realized she was only contributing to the problem by remaining silent, saying, “It has become clear to me that by not saying anything, I might be adding to the anguish of many courageous women and men.” However, she reminded everyone that the purpose of this movement is not to focus solely on who speaks out, but the abusers themselves, as not everyone has the privilege to call out their abusers without devastating consequences to their safety or career.
While Winslet is correct that the focus of #MeToo shouldn’t necessarily be about who does and does not speak out, it’s refreshing that she did finally take the time to call out powerful men who abuse in Hollywood. However, we wish that Winslet had actually addressed Allen by name; she’s clearly referencing him and their latest project together, Wonder Wheel. In this case, maybe something is better than nothing, but it still leaves a lot to be desired.
We’ll also have to wait and see if these statements mean she won’t work for Allen anymore, or if it was just to garner some good will. After all, in order to take down these predators, we all must work together to hold those in power accountable, and we hope her actions support this.