Scarlett Johansson said she “believes” and “loves” Woody Allen, and Twitter is not happy
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Scarlett Johansson opened up about her relationship with director Woody Allen, who was first accused of sexually abusing his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, in 1992.
In the wake of the #MeToo movement in 2017, the allegations against Allen resurfaced, and many famous actors said they wouldn’t work with Allen again. Several women, including Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig, Rachel Brosnahan, and Rebecca Hall, expressed regret for having worked with him at all, along with a few men, including Colin Firth, Timothée Chalamet, David Krumholtz, and Griffin Newman.
But in the September 4th interview, Johansson, who has worked with Allen three times—in 2005’s Match Point, 2006’s Scoop, and 2008’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona—defended Allen, saying she “would work with him anytime.”
"How do I feel about Woody Allen?" she mused, before responding, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "I love Woody. I believe him, and I would work with him anytime."
She added, “I see Woody whenever I can, and I have had a lot of conversations with him about it. I have been very direct with him, and he’s very direct with me. He maintains his innocence, and I believe him.”
Of course, this sentiment is directly at odds with Johansson’s involvement with Time’s Up and the Women’s March, two movements designed to aid visibility for women and victims of assault and harassment.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1_X3WzgiLt
When asked about that dichotomy, Johansson said, “It’s hard because it’s a time where people are very fired up, and understandably. Things needed to be stirred up, and so people have a lot of passion and a lot of strong feelings and are angry, and rightfully so. It’s an intense time.”
At the 2018 Women’s March, Johansson directly called out James Franco, who had worn a Time’s Up pin to the Golden Globes just days before being accused of sexual misconduct by five women. In her speech, she said of Franco, “How could a person publicly stand by an organization that helps to provide support for victims of sexual assault while privately preying on people who have no power? I want my pin back, by the way.”
Unsurprisingly, social media users were displeased with Johansson’s comments in THR, and took to Twitter to share their thoughts about her stance.
Some called into question her recent controversial comments about “political correctness” in casting in Hollywood, expressing that she “should be allowed to play any person, or any tree, or any animal.”
https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/1169311949034704896
No one:
Absolutely no one:
Not a soul in the world:
Scarlett Johansson- WOODY ALLEN DID NOTHING WRONG!
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) September 4, 2019
At this point, I think the only identity Scarlett Johansson hasn’t tried to culturally appropriate is a person with integrity.
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️⚧️🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) September 4, 2019
Scarlett Johansson vehemently defending Woody Allen, further solidifying herself as one of the worst people working in Hollywood. You really hate to see it. pic.twitter.com/h8uRp1BWSo
— Talk My Shit Casanova (@yosoymichael) September 4, 2019
THIS JUST IN: Scarlett Johansson, still terrible. https://t.co/GbwE0obTB4 pic.twitter.com/pVCyDsPKyG
— Jill Pantozzi (@JillPantozzi) September 4, 2019
Farrow herself addressed the comments, noting that the Black Widow star “has a long way to go in understanding the issue she claims to champion.”
Because if we’ve learned anything from the past two years it’s that you definitely should believe male predators who “maintain their innocence” without question. Scarlett has a long way to go in understanding the issue she claims to champion. https://t.co/S1NmttL9tJ
— Dylan Farrow (@RealDylanFarrow) September 5, 2019
We’re genuinely disappointed to hear Johansson take this stance in regards to Allen, and we hope she reconsiders working with him in the future. We support and believe all victims of abuse, including Farrow, and commend them for speaking out against their abusers.
If you are a sexual assault survivor and need help, you can call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to speak to a trained counselor. You can also chat online with a counselor here. Both services are available 24/7.
