On 12 January 2014, Woody Allen was honoured with a Golden Globe Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in the film industry. Allen’s work include Crimes and Misdemeanors, Annie Hall, Manhattan, and more recently Blue Jasmine. Many applauded him and celebrated this milestone on his behalf. Allen did not attend the ceremony but the response he received from Mia Farrow (Allen’s ex-partner) and Ronan Farrow (Allen’s son) left tongues wagging.
A woman has publicly detailed Woody Allen’s molestation of her at age 7. GoldenGlobe tribute showed contempt for her & all abuse survivors
— mia farrow (@MiaFarrow) January 13, 2014
Missed the Woody Allen tribute – did they put the part where a woman publicly confirmed he molested her at age 7 before or after Annie Hall?
— Ronan Farrow (@RonanFarrow) January 13, 2014
Is he a pedophile ? Read this VanityFair article and make up your own mind. http://t.co/k2nyrMpjAt
— mia farrow (@MiaFarrow) January 13, 2014
Dylan Farrow, adopted daughter of Allen, wrote an open letter on 1 February were she states that Allen molested her when she was a child:
“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”
On Sunday, Leslee Dart, publicist for Allen said in a statement:
“Mr Allen has read the article and found it untrue and disgraceful. He will be responding very soon. In the meantime, it is essential that your coverage make the following facts clear.
At the time, a thorough investigation was conducted by court appointed independent experts. The experts concluded there was no credible evidence of molestation; that Dylan Farrow had an inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality; and that Dylan Farrow had likely been coached by her mother, Mia Farrow. No charges were ever filed”
In 2009 Allen defended Roman Polanski (who drugged and raped Samantha Geimer, who was a 13-year-old girl at the time) by signing petition for his release (major red flag).
Responses:
Barbara Walter’s response on the talk show The View
Samantha Geimer (victim of Roman Polanski) Response
Stephen King responded ‘there’s an element of palpable bitchery’ when author Mary Karr sent a link to writer Aaron Brady’s, in which Brady defends Farrow, piece.
Have no opinion on the accusations; hope they’re not true. Probably used the wrong word. — Stephen King (@StephenKing) February 4, 2014
“It’s obviously been a long and painful situation for the family and I hope they find some sort of resolution and peace”- Cate Blanchett
“What the f&@% is wrong w u that u think we all need to b commenting on this family’s personal struggle?”- Alec Baldwin tweeted this past Sunday
He added: “So you know who’s guilty? Who’s lying? You, personally, know that?” He continued: “You are mistaken if you think there is a place for me, or any outsider, in this family’s issue.” He later deleted his responses .
This past Sunday also marked the one year anniversary of the death of Anene Booysen, a 17 year-old girl, who was raped and mutilated on a construction site in Bredasdorp. Last year Booysen’s death grabbed media attention as well as support from the public, who arranged rallies for victims of sexual abuse.
Anene Booysen (pictured)
Booysen was disemboweled with a blunt object, leaving over a metre of her intestines protruding from her genitalia. She was found by a security guard on the construction site and died six hours later. Two men were arrested for her attack. However, all charges against Jonathan Davies, one of the accused, were dropped.
Booysen lived long enough to name one of her attackers. In October 2013 Johannes Kana was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Booysen.
Twitter: @CherriThePrude
Images:
http://www.zekefilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Take-the-Money-and-Run1.jpg
http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/anene-s-murder-will-never-go-away-1.1639555#.UvISBvmSxAo
