‘I don’t think I’ve stayed silent at all’
Hollywood filmmaker Woody Allen faced sexual assault allegations by his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow in 1992, when she was just seven-years-old, with the allegations recently resurfacing during the #MeToo movement.
Woody Allen repeated his denial earlier this year, but due to the current #MeToo movement and the shift against victim blaming, increasing numbers of A-listers have been voicing their support for Farrow.
'If I had known then what I know now, I would not have acted in the film,' explained Greta Gerwig. 'I have not worked for him again, and I will not work for him again. Dylan Farrow… made me realize that I increased another woman’s pain, and I was heartbroken by that realization.'
Natalie Portman agreed, stating 'I believe Dylan. I would want to say that: "I believe you, Dylan"', with increasing numbers of actors and actresses choosing to not work with the director in the future.
Cate Blanchett starred in Woody Allen's 2013 film, Blue Jasmine, earning her a best bctress oscar, and as a supporter of the #MeToo movement, fans were interested in what she had to say about the director.
This week, the topic came up as Cate was posed a difficult question by CNN journalist Christine Amanpour:
'How do you juxtapose being a #MeToo proponent, a Times Up proponent, and staying silent, or having worked with Woody Allen, would you work with him again?'
'I don’t think I’ve stayed silent at all,' Cate was quick to respond. 'At the time that I worked with Woody Allen I knew nothing of the allegations and it came out at the time that the film was released.'
Blue Jasmine film premiere, in 2013. Credit: Rex
She continued: 'At the time I said, you know, it’s a very painful and complicated situation for the family, which I hope they have the ability to resolve, and if these allegations need to be reexamined - in my understanding they’ve been through court - then I’m a big believer in the justice system and setting legal precedence.'
'If the case needs to be reopened then I am absolutely whole-heartedly in support of that, because I think that there’s one thing about social media is fantastic about raising awareness about issues, but it’s not the judge and jury, and so I feel that these things need to go into court, so that if these abuses have happened that the person is prosecuted, so that someone who’s not in the shiny industry that I can can use that precedent to protect themselves.'
