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Woody Allen denies Dylan Farrow's sexual abuse claim, says he's the 'the poster boy for the #MeToo movement' (updated)

Woody Allen should be the face of the #MeToo movement — according to Woody Allen.

In a new interview, the controversial director applauds the crusade sparked by estranged son Ronan Farrow, saying he should be the “poster boy” for #MeToo, given his perfect track record working with actresses.

“As I say, I’m a big advocate of the #MeToo movement. I feel when they find people who harass innocent women and men, it’s a good thing that they’re exposing them,” Allen said on Argentinian news program Periodismo Para Todos (Journalism for All) on Sunday night.

“But you know, I should be the poster boy for the #MeToo movement,” he added, according to the Hollywood Reporter, “because I have worked in movies for 50 years, I’ve worked with hundreds of actresses, and not a single one — big ones, famous ones, ones starting out — has ever, ever suggested any kind of impropriety at all. I’ve always had a wonderful record with them.”

Woody Allen in February 2018 in New York City. (Photo: Gonzalo Marroquin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Woody Allen in February 2018 in New York City. (Photo: Gonzalo Marroquin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

It’s a bold statement, given daughter Dylan Farrow’s claims that Allen sexually abused her as a child. She has responded to Allen’s interview.

The Blue Jasmine director has denied the allegations and did so once again, pointing to the fact that he was never charged with a crime.

“This is something that has been thoroughly looked at 25 years ago by all the authorities, and everybody came to the conclusion that it was untrue. And that was the end, and I’ve gone on with my life,” Allen, 82, exclaimed. “For it to come back now — it’s a terrible thing to accuse a person of. I’m a man with a family and my own children, so of course it’s upsetting.”

Allen has two teenage girls with current wife Soon-Yi Previn — who is the adopted daughter of his ex-wife Mia Farrow. Despite their 35-year age difference, Allen and Previn have been married for over 20 years.

Ever since the October 2017 exposés of Harvey Weinstein, Hollywood has been rocked by widespread allegations of sexual harassment, misconduct, and assault by some of the industry’s most powerful men.

“What bothers me is that I get linked with them,” Allen said. “People who have been accused by 20 women, 50 women, 100 women of abuse and abuse and abuse — and I, who was only accused by one woman in a child custody case which was looked at and proven to be untrue, I get lumped in with these people.”

Dylan’s allegation against Allen was resurrected after the Weinstein scandal broke, with Greta Gerwig and Ellen Page publicly apologizing to Dylan for working with the director.

“I think in any situation where anyone is accused of something unjustly, this is a sad thing,” Allen stated. “I think everybody would agree with that. Everyone wants justice to be done. If there is something like the #MeToo movement now, you root for them, you want them to bring to justice to these terrible harassers, these people who do all these terrible things. And I think that’s a good thing.”

Dylan has never wavered from her claim that Allen sexually assaulted her at age 7, something that has divided the Farrow family.

Last week, Moses Farrow — the adopted son of Woody Allen and Mia Farrow — defended his father in a lengthy post, claiming Mia was physically and emotionally abusive. Bechet, Allen and Soon-Yi Previn’s daughter, also came to Allen’s defense on Facebook writing, “He has been nothing but supportive and loving, and now it is my turn to support him.”

Ronan Farrow, who was honored with a Pulitzer Prize this year for the New Yorker story on Weinstein, has long defended his sister Dylan. He did so again after Moses’s essay.

He has yet to weigh in on Allen’s latest headline-making interview.

[Editor’s note: This post was originally published June 4, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. ET.]

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