Just last week, actor Sean Penn said that he would love to work with filmmaker Woody Allen on a project. Beyond that he vocalized his incredulity about the long ago sexual assault claims against Allen. Allen’s daughter, Dylan Farrow, and other family members have long made allegations against him that he emphatically denies. Penn takes the view that ALLEN should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Woody Allen has steadfastly denied all allegations of sexual misconduct. However, over the decades, he has never been criminally charged with these allegations. A Connecticut prosecutor found probable cause for a criminal case against Allen. Yet, formal charges have never been filed against him. This absence of legal action has caused some, like Penn, to wonder whether the accusations have any merit.
That reckoning Allen’s longstanding controversy can be traced back to 1992, when Mia Farrow first accused Allen of molesting their 7-year-old adopted daughter, Dylan. The allegations came to light after Farrow found out about Allen’s sexual relationship with her then-21-year-old adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn. When Dylan Farrow first publicly detailed her allegations in a 2013 television interview, she shared her experience with the world in the 2021 documentary, “Allen v. Farrow,” which featured perspectives from Mia and Ronan Farrow.
In light of this history, Sean Penn stated, “Let’s just take a second. That’s all I’m saying. I see he’s not proven guilty, so I take him as innocent, and I would work with him in a heartbeat.” His comments are woefully in line with all of the other performers who have publicly defended Allen’s indefensible behavior during the Me Too movement. Among the high-profile supporters are Scarlett Johansson, Gina Gershon, and Kate Winslet.
Penn was adamant that no clinical psychologist or psychiatrist has ever said that pedophilia recurs more than once in an individual’s life. He made sure to communicate this message throughout his keynote. This perspective reflects a broader sentiment among some in the film industry who view Allen’s artistic contributions as separate from the allegations against him.
This new layer of attention on Allen’s case has initiated intense conversations on both sides of the Hollywood Hills – and all around the world. The documentary series Allen v. Farrow has brought renewed attention to the allegations against Woody Allen. It illuminates the unique push and pull dynamic between Mia and Ronan Farrow that shaped their family. In the wake of the controversy surrounding his article’s publication, Ronan has quickly become a great journalist trying to make sense of what happened.
