Home Entertainment Dylan Farrow open letter renews Woody Allen abuse claim

Dylan Farrow open letter renews Woody Allen abuse claim

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Dylan Farrow, the adopted daughter of Woody Allen and Mia Farrow, has renewed claims the filmmaker “abused” her as a child in 1992.

In an open letter, Dylan Farrow accuses Woody Allen of molesting her in a “dim, closet-like attic” at the age of seven.

Dylan Farrow, now 28, also criticizes Hollywood’s continued celebration of “a predator [who] brought chaos into our home”.

Woody Allen, now 78, was investigated over the abuse allegations at the time of the incident, but was not charged.

A panel of psychologists, appointed by US prosecutors and the police, concluded that Dylan Farrow had not been molested.

The case caused controversy when a prosecutor later said there had been “probably cause” to charge Woody Allen, but he had chosen not to, in order to protect the child.

The movie director has always maintained his innocence. He has previously accused Mia Farrow of fabricating the claims after their highly publicized break-up in 1992.

Dylan Farrowopens her letter, published on the New York Times website, by asking: “What’s your favorite Woody Allen movie? Before you answer, you should know: when I was seven years old, Woody Allen took me by the hand and led me into a dim, closet-like attic on the second floor of our house.

“He told me to lay on my stomach and play with my brother’s electric train set. Then he s**ually abused me.”

Dylan Farrow accuses Woody Allen of molesting her at the age of seven

Dylan Farrow accuses Woody Allen of molesting her at the age of seven

Dylan Farrow, who now lives in Florida under a different name, said she developed an eating disorder and was self-harming following the incident.

“That he got away with what he did to me haunted me as I grew up,” she writes.

She said she decided to break her silence after two decades, when Woody Allen’s latest film, Blue Jasmine, was nominated for an Oscar last week.

Dylan Farrow explained that Hollywood had made her “torment worse” by turning “a blind eye” to her story.

“Each time I saw my abuser’s face – on a poster, on a t-shirt, on television – I could only hide my panic until I found a place to be alone and fall apart. But this time, I refuse to fall apart,” she says.

Dylan Farrow also takes aim against actors who have appeared in Woody Allen’s movies.

“What if it had been your child, Cate Blanchett? You knew me when I was a little girl, Diane Keaton. Have you forgotten me?”

Last month, Diane Keaton accepted a lifetime achievement award for Woody Allen, who has a reputation for being notoriously reclusive.

Diane Keaton’s move sparked a major debate on social networks. It drew heavy criticism from Woody Allen’s biological son with Mia Farrow, Ronan, who tweeted: “Missed the Woody Allen tribute – did they put the part where a woman publicly confirmed he molested her at age 7 before or after Annie Hall?”

Dylan Farrow’s letter has already sent ripples through Hollywood.

Blue Jasmine star Cate Blanchett responded to the piece saying: “It’s obviously been a long and painful situation for the family and I hope they find some resolution and peace.”

Meanwhile, hosts at the Writers Guild Awards ceremony included references to the scandal in their puns on Saturday night.

Mia Farrow became romantically involved with Woody Allen in the early 1980s. The pair, who never married and kept separate homes, jointly adopted Dylan and her brother, Moses.

Woody Allen and Mia Farrow split in 1992 amid revelations that Allen had an affair with another adopted daughter of the actress, Soon-Yi.

The molestation allegations surfaced shortly after the breakup.

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Sonia is the heart and the artist of the team. She loves art and all that it implies. As Sonia says, good music, a well directed movie, or attending a music or film festival melts people’s heart and make them better. She is great at painting and photography. Working on scrapbooks is her favorite activity.