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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Woody Allen denies abuse allegations | Woody Allen denies abuse allegations |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Woody Allen has struck | Woody Allen has struck |
| back against allegations he molested Dylan Farrow in a blistering reply that accuses Mia Farrow of spite, deceit and hatefulness. | back against allegations he molested Dylan Farrow in a blistering reply that accuses Mia Farrow of spite, deceit and hatefulness. |
| The film director cast | The film director cast |
| himself in a New York Times article as the persecuted victim of his former partner, denouncing her as a “raging | himself in a New York Times article as the persecuted victim of his former partner, denouncing her as a “raging |
| adversary” who destroyed their family and coached their daughter to | adversary” who destroyed their family and coached their daughter to |
| invent stories of sexual abuse. | invent stories of sexual abuse. |
| “Of course, I did not | “Of course, I did not |
| molest Dylan. I loved her and hope one day she will grasp how she has | molest Dylan. I loved her and hope one day she will grasp how she has |
| been cheated out of having a loving father and exploited by a mother | been cheated out of having a loving father and exploited by a mother |
| more interested in her own festering anger than her daughter’s | more interested in her own festering anger than her daughter’s |
| wellbeing. | wellbeing. |
| “Being taught to hate | “Being taught to hate |
| your father and made to believe he molested you has already taken a | your father and made to believe he molested you has already taken a |
| psychological toll on this lovely young woman, and Soon-Yi [Allen’s wife] and I are | psychological toll on this lovely young woman, and Soon-Yi [Allen’s wife] and I are |
| both hoping that one day she will understand who has really made her | both hoping that one day she will understand who has really made her |
| a victim and reconnect with us.” | a victim and reconnect with us.” |
| The 2,000-word column, | The 2,000-word column, |
| which Allen, 78, vowed would be his “final word” on the subject, | which Allen, 78, vowed would be his “final word” on the subject, |
| was published on Friday in response to an open letter from Dylan a week earlier in which she repeated the longstanding | was published on Friday in response to an open letter from Dylan a week earlier in which she repeated the longstanding |
| accusations against her father. | accusations against her father. |
| Allen said he did not | Allen said he did not |
| doubt Dylan, 21, believed she had been molested. “But if from the | doubt Dylan, 21, believed she had been molested. “But if from the |
| age of seven a vulnerable child is taught by a strong mother to hate her | age of seven a vulnerable child is taught by a strong mother to hate her |
| father because he is a monster who abused her, is it so inconceivable | father because he is a monster who abused her, is it so inconceivable |
| that after many years of this indoctrination the image of me Mia | that after many years of this indoctrination the image of me Mia |
| wanted to establish had taken root?” | wanted to establish had taken root?” |
| The story erupted in | The story erupted in |
| 1992 during an acrimonious split between Allen and Farrow, who had | 1992 during an acrimonious split between Allen and Farrow, who had |
| starred in several of his films. Dylan, then aged seven, alleged her | starred in several of his films. Dylan, then aged seven, alleged her |
| father abused her in the attic of the family home in Connecticut. | father abused her in the attic of the family home in Connecticut. |
| A panel of experts | A panel of experts |
| investigated the claims and found no evidence of abuse. No charges | investigated the claims and found no evidence of abuse. No charges |
| were filed. Allen claimed Farrow concocted the story to punish him | were filed. Allen claimed Farrow concocted the story to punish him |
| for an affair with her adopted teenage daughter, Soon-Yi, now his | |
| wife. | wife. |
| “Even the venue where | “Even the venue where |
| the fabricated molestation was supposed to have taken place was | the fabricated molestation was supposed to have taken place was |
| poorly chosen but interesting. Mia chose the attic of her country | poorly chosen but interesting. Mia chose the attic of her country |
| house, a place she should have realised I’d never go to because it | house, a place she should have realised I’d never go to because it |
| is a tiny, cramped, enclosed spot where one can hardly stand up and | is a tiny, cramped, enclosed spot where one can hardly stand up and |
| I’m a major claustrophobe. The one or two times she asked me to | I’m a major claustrophobe. The one or two times she asked me to |
| come in there to look at something, I did, but quickly had to run | come in there to look at something, I did, but quickly had to run |
| out.” | out.” |
| Despite Allen’s | Despite Allen’s |
| repeated denials over the years, suspicion has endured, tainting his | repeated denials over the years, suspicion has endured, tainting his |
| reputation even amid critical acclaim with recent films such as Blue | reputation even amid critical acclaim with recent films such as Blue |
| Jasmine and Midnight in Paris. | Jasmine and Midnight in Paris. |
| The row flared anew | The row flared anew |
| last month when Ronan Farrow, 26, who has always sided with his | last month when Ronan Farrow, 26, who has always sided with his |
| mother, revived the accusation in response to Allen winning a Golden | mother, revived the accusation in response to Allen winning a Golden |
| Globe lifetime achievement award. His sister followed up with the | Globe lifetime achievement award. His sister followed up with the |
| open letter. | open letter. |
| Allen said the | Allen said the |
| accusation stemmed from “great enmity” during a bitter end to his | accusation stemmed from “great enmity” during a bitter end to his |
| 12-year relationship with Farrow. “The self-serving transparency of her malevolence seemed so obvious I didn’t even hire a lawyer to | 12-year relationship with Farrow. “The self-serving transparency of her malevolence seemed so obvious I didn’t even hire a lawyer to |
| defend myself.” | defend myself.” |
| He took a lie detector and passed, Allen said, but Mia Farrow declined to do so. She tried to persuade one of Allen’s former girlfriends, Stacey | He took a lie detector and passed, Allen said, but Mia Farrow declined to do so. She tried to persuade one of Allen’s former girlfriends, Stacey |
| Nelkin, to falsely tell authorities she had been underage when their | Nelkin, to falsely tell authorities she had been underage when their |
| relationship began. | relationship began. |
| The director accused Farrow of duplicity over her relationship with Frank Sinatra, | The director accused Farrow of duplicity over her relationship with Frank Sinatra, |
| whom she recently suggested may be the father of Ronan. “Granted, | whom she recently suggested may be the father of Ronan. “Granted, |
| he looks a lot like Frank with the blue eyes and facial features, but | he looks a lot like Frank with the blue eyes and facial features, but |
| if so what does this say? That all during the custody hearing Mia | if so what does this say? That all during the custody hearing Mia |
| lied under oath and falsely represented Ronan as our son? Even if he | lied under oath and falsely represented Ronan as our son? Even if he |
| is not Frank’s, the possibility she raises that he could be, | is not Frank’s, the possibility she raises that he could be, |
| indicates she was secretly intimate with him during our years.” | indicates she was secretly intimate with him during our years.” |
| Allen lamented that his | Allen lamented that his |
| former partner isolated him from Ronan and Dylan, saying he felt | former partner isolated him from Ronan and Dylan, saying he felt |
| guilty that the latter was used as a pawn for revenge. “Soon-Yi and | guilty that the latter was used as a pawn for revenge. “Soon-Yi and |
| I made countless attempts to see Dylan but Mia blocked them all, | I made countless attempts to see Dylan but Mia blocked them all, |
| spitefully knowing how much we both loved her but totally indifferent | spitefully knowing how much we both loved her but totally indifferent |
| to the pain and damage she was causing the little girl merely to | to the pain and damage she was causing the little girl merely to |
| appease her own vindictiveness.” | appease her own vindictiveness.” |
| He quoted the couple’s | He quoted the couple’s |
| other son, Moses, now a 36-year-old family therapist, who has | other son, Moses, now a 36-year-old family therapist, who has |
| protested Allen’s innocence. | protested Allen’s innocence. |
| He concluded: “No one | He concluded: “No one |
| wants to discourage abuse victims from speaking out, but one must | wants to discourage abuse victims from speaking out, but one must |
| bear in mind that sometimes there are people who are falsely accused | bear in mind that sometimes there are people who are falsely accused |
| and that is also a terribly destructive thing.” There was no | and that is also a terribly destructive thing.” There was no |
| immediate response from Farrow. | immediate response from Farrow. |
| The controversy is | The controversy is |
| likely to hang over next month’s Oscars, where Blue Jasmine is up for | likely to hang over next month’s Oscars, where Blue Jasmine is up for |
| three awards. | three awards. |
| • This article was amended on 8 February 2014. It originally stated that “Allen claimed Farrow concocted the [abuse] story to punish him for an affair with their adopted teenage daughter, Soon-Yi, now his wife”. Soon-Yi is the adopted daughter of Farrow and André Previn, not Allen. This has been corrected. |