Monday, February 3, 2014

Dylan Farrow Writes Open Letter about Sexual Abuse by Woody Allen


Woody Allen's adopted daughter Dylan Farrow writes an open letter about being sexually abused by the famed director when she was seven years old.
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 sexually assaulted me. He talked to me while he did it, whispering that I was a good girl, that this was our secret, promising that we’d go to Paris and I’d be a star in his movies. I remember staring at that toy train, focusing on it as it traveled in its circle around the attic. To this day, I find it difficult to look at toy trains.
For as long as I could remember, my father had been doing things to me that I didn’t like. I didn’t like how often he would take me away from my mom, siblings and friends to be alone with him. I didn’t like it when he would stick his thumb in my mouth. I didn’t like it when I had to get in bed with him under the sheets when he was in his underwear. I didn’t like it when he would place his head in my naked lap and breathe in and breathe out. I would hide under beds or lock myself in the bathroom to avoid these encounters, but he always found me. These things happened so often, so routinely, so skillfully hidden from a mother that would have protected me had she known, that I thought it was normal. I thought this was how fathers doted on their daughters. But what he did to me in the attic felt different. I couldn’t keep the secret anymore.
When I asked my mother if her dad did to her what Woody Allen did to me, I honestly did not know the answer. I also didn’t know the firestorm it would trigger. I didn’t know that my father would use his sexual relationship with my sister to cover up the abuse he inflicted on me. I didn’t know that he would accuse my mother of planting the abuse in my head and call her a liar for defending me. I didn’t know that I would be made to recount my story over and over again, to doctor after doctor, pushed to see if I’d admit I was lying as part of a legal battle I couldn’t possibly understand. At one point, my mother sat me down and told me that I wouldn’t be in trouble if I was lying – that I could take it all back. I couldn’t. It was all true. But sexual abuse claims against the powerful stall more easily. There were experts willing attack my credibility. There were doctors willing to gaslight an abused child.
After a custody hearing denied my father visitation rights, my mother declined to pursue criminal charges, despite findings of probable cause by the State of Connecticut – due to, in the words of the prosecutor, the fragility of the “child victim.” Woody Allen was never convicted of any crime. That he got away with what he did to me haunted me as I grew up. I was stricken with guilt that I had allowed him to be near other little girls. I was terrified of being touched by men. I developed an eating disorder. I began cutting myself. That torment was made worse by Hollywood. All but a precious few (my heroes) turned a blind eye. Most found it easier to accept the ambiguity, to say, “who can say what happened,” to pretend that nothing was wrong. Actors praised him at awards shows. Networks put him on TV. Critics put him in magazines. 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.
Last week, Woody Allen was nominated for his latest Oscar. But this time, I refuse to fall apart. For so long, Woody Allen’s acceptance silenced me. It felt like a personal rebuke, like the awards and accolades were a way to tell me to shut up and go away. But the survivors of sexual abuse who have reached out to me – to support me and to share their fears of coming forward, of being called a liar, of being told their memories aren’t their memories – have given me a reason to not be silent, if only so others know that they don’t have to be silent either.
Today, I consider myself lucky. I am happily married. I have the support of my amazing brothers and sisters. I have a mother who found within herself a well of fortitude that saved us from the chaos a predator brought into our home.
But others are still scared, vulnerable, and struggling for the courage to tell the truth. The message that Hollywood sends matters for them.
What if it had been your child, Cate Blanchett? Louis CK? Alec Baldwin? What if it had been you, Emma Stone? Or you, Scarlett Johansson? You knew me when I was a little girl, Diane Keaton. Have you forgotten me?
Woody Allen is a living testament to the way our society fails the survivors of sexual assault and abuse.
So imagine your seven-year-old daughter being led into an attic by Woody Allen. Imagine she spends a lifetime stricken with nausea at the mention of his name. Imagine a world that celebrates her tormenter.
Are you imagining that? Now, what’s your favorite Woody Allen movie?
Jacked from NY Times

14 comments:

Sunno said...

None, not a one this man has always looked creepy like a Chester the child molester.

Anonymous said...

The thing I cannot get past is her Mother's constant support of a CONVICTED child rapist, Roman Polanski. I have no doubt that Dylan suffered at the hands of Woody.....but how can Mia pick and choose which molesters to champion, or denounce?? Makes things a tad bit murky....

Niyabinghi Warrior said...

I believe her story, woody is a pedophile and it sound's like mom looked the other way till he bounce with the stepdaughter who was obviously being molested too. soon yi does not seem like she's playing with a full deck, also I have noticed the body language of his two daughters awhile back, and they also look like they were being molested by him. he's a sick, twisted sociopath who hides behind a socially awkward, pseudo intellectual persona. I never liked him and his movies are overrated. its no surprise his other cronies in hollyweird supports him, that industry is made up of pedophiles who prey on children. he should have been thrown in prison with the regular population who hate rapist and pedophile, so he could have experienced justice. I hate pedophiles, they cannot be rehabilitated and if I had my way they would all be killed off the planet. violating children is a crime and should receive the harshest punishment.

Anonymous said...

The daughter needs to tell the truth about her disgusting ass mother Mia Farrow. Hollywood is sick and has always been sick and Mia knew this when she got with Woody Allen. Thats why that disguting bitch had the biological kids and adopted all those other kids, so Woody and whoever else could do what they wanted to do with those kids. She should be attacking her mother and exposing her for the piece of shit her mother is. There is no way in the world that as a mother she did not know her children were not being molested by her piece of shit man. The daughter needs to acknowledge that her mother sold her out on purpose to her daddy Woody. She needs to get therapy and not be in denial about the role her mother played in the abuse! Laying in his bed breathing on her stomach - touching/assaulting her all the time, and skillfully hidden from a mother who would have protected her - what the fuck!! The daughter is in denial thinking her mother didn't know thats the sad part. No matter how hard it may be to accept, the daughter needs to confront that bitch about how she could not have know instead of wasting energy on writing a letter to a sick perverted industry whose known to hurt and destroy innocent childrens' lives and adult lives for that matteran and does not give a damn about her or her family.

zeedee said...

This is truly nauseating...i never saw what the bfd was with Woody Allen anyway..and yes the body language was off with those children and him...it was very apparent they were uncomfortable around him..i also believe soon ye was bought for his perversions

nba is fixed said...

Woody Allen is a living testament to the way our society and the justice system protects rich white men. This girl is telling the truth! There are hundreds of child molesters in hollywood! Woody Allen and Roman Polanski aren't the only ones! That is a fact!

Anonymous said...

And let me guess u are all typing these comments while u listen to that new R Kelly. It's not only whites...there's black men like R kelly who by the way is making a serious comeback. He's done plenty of sick perverted shit to underage girls as well.

Anonymous said...

Wrong. Not all black people are R Kelly fans. You off all people should know that based on your post. Think you're alone?

Anonymous said...

of. And what I originally wanted to say...I believe her.

Anonymous said...

i call bs, she just wants a pay day . i bet once she hit puberty she was running around the house naked, slutty clothing and trying to steal her moms man. she wont be the last teenage whore using their age as a defense for their actions

nba is fixed said...

Has anybody noticed that Scarlett Johansson has been silent throughout this entire scandal? I wonder why?

Anonymous said...

White people crazy

nba is fixed said...

"that this was our secret, promising that we’d go to Paris and I’d be a star in his movies. "

This is exactly what hollywood directors say and do to molest children! What Woody Allen said to this girl is very similar to what most chesters say to children when they're molesting them. I believe Woody did it!

Anonymous said...

@8:21 pm the article is not about R. Kelly, we are commenting on the article printed above, and second, there are alot of people that feel the same way about R Kelly as Woody Allen thats why R. isn't selling any music.. Ain't nobody thinking about that washed up triflin scum, and neither should you.

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