Following Woody Allen's recognition for his achievement in film in the Golden Globes last January, debates were ignited once again not only in the context of if the Annie Hall director deserves the award, but if Hollywood should allow artists like him who are accused of perpetrating sexual abuse receive this kind of adoration.
Leading the pack of those condemning the award is Woody Allen's adapted daughter Dylan Farrow. Writer Nicholas Kristof published Dylan's open letter to his father in his blog in nytimes.com. In the letter, she sets off revelations and details about her alleged molestation.
In the letter, she claimed that "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."
She then spoke candidly about the challenges of avoiding his stepfather's advances and her struggle to get back on her feet after the ordeal: "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."
Mia Farrow's daughter ended her piece by asking actors who have worked with and praised the "Blue Jasmine" writer's work, which included Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Diane Keaton, Scarlett Johansson and Emma Stone, a rhetorical question of knowing what it feels like to be on her shoes.
Roxanne Gay agreed with this sentiment as she discussed the difficulty of society "to compartmentalize art and humanity" on her Salon.com column.
Devoting his Sunday column on the issue, Kristof offered ambiguity despite letting Dylan use his blog. "Allen's defenders correctly note that he denies the allegations, has never been convicted and should be presumed innocent, " He explained.
