In news that has disappointed many fans, actor Diane Keaton has tweeted her support for Woody Allen on Twitter. On Monday, Jan. 29, the Annie Hall actor tweeted, "Woody Allen is my friend and I continue to believe him. It might be of interest to take a look at the 60 Minute interview from 1992 and see what you think." Allen's daughter Dylan Farrow alleges that Allen molested her at age 7. Allen has denied all allegations against him.
The 1992 60 Minutes interview that Keaton urged her followers to watch took place in midst of the custody battle. In the interview, Allen claimed that Farrow's claims were a "total non-event." Allen, who famously prefers to stay out of the spotlight, agreed to a public interview in order to share his side of the story and deny the allegations against him.
This is far from the first time that Keaton has come to Allen's defense. Keaton has starred in eight of Allen's films over the course of her career, including Annie Hall and Manhattan. Furthermore, she and Allen were romantically involved in the '70s, and they have remained close friends since then. In 2014, Keaton accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golden Globes on Allen’s behalf, just one month before Farrow publicly called out Keaton in her New York Times op-ed for supporting her father. Farrow wrote in the op-ed, "You knew me when I was a little girl, Diane Keaton. Have you forgotten me?"
Keaton responded to Farrow's allegations in a May 2014 interview with The Guardian. When she was pressed about being called out by Farrow, Keaton asserted that the truth was that she didn't know Allen's adopted daughter. She stated that she had only seen Farrow "maybe three times" when the young woman was growing up. As for Farrow's assertion that her father molested her, Keaton would only say, "I have nothing to say about that. Except: I believe my friend."
It seems that Keaton is sticking with that sentiment even as the accusations about Allen have resurfaced in light of the #MeToo movement. In early January, Farrow sat down with CBS This Morning's Gayle King for an on-air interview in which she asserted that she has been telling the same story consistently for 20 years and she wants to be heard. During her interview, an emotional Farrow said, "I want to show my face and tell my story. I want to speak out, literally."
Since Farrow's interview aired, many celebrities who previously worked with Allen have apologized or expressed regret for doing so. Actors Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Hall both donated their salaries from working with Allen on the upcoming film Rainy Day In New York to the Time's Up movement. Meanwhile, actors like Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig, Mira Sorvino, and David Krumholtz have publicly condemned the director.
However, Keaton is not alone in coming to Allen's defense. Recently, Alec Baldwin, who worked with Allen on Blue Jasmine (2013), Alice (1990), and To Rome With Love (2012), tweeted his support of Allen on Twitter. Baldwin faced an almost immediate backlash on the social media site for his tweets. The 30 Rock actor tweeted,
"Woody Allen was investigated forensically by two states (NY and CT) and no charges were filed. The renunciation of him and his work, no doubt, has some purpose. But it’s unfair and sad to me. I worked w WA 3 times and it was one of the privileges of my career."
In addition to the detailed allegations of molestation, Farrow also claimed in a Dec. 7 Los Angeles Times op-ed, "Allen's pattern of inappropriate behavior — putting his thumb in my mouth, climbing into bed with me in his underwear, constant grooming and touching — was witnessed by friends and family members. At the time of the alleged assault, he was in therapy for his conduct towards me."
Allen denied the claims and declined to comment to the LA Times regarding the op-ed, but a Connecticut prosecutor claims that he had "probable cause" to charge Allen. However, according to the LA Times, he decided not to in order to protect the "child victim." The op-ed goes on to state that Farrow's allegations of were investigated by sex-abuse experts at Yale-New Haven Hospital, but no evidence of abuse was found.
Regardless of how celebrities like Keaton and Baldwin feel about Allen, it's still disheartening to see them outright dismiss Farrow's claims. Throughout the years, Keaton's defense of Allen has always been that she believes her friend. While loyalty is an admirable quality, that doesn't change the fact that Farrow's voice should be heard.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit online.rainn.org.
