After a star-studded Golden Globes featuring a lot of Hollywood’s finest in all-black for the “Time’s Up” movement, actress Greta Gerwig finally had words to say about her 2012 movie with director Woody Allen. Allen is one of the many directors that has been in hot water for sexual assault accusations, per his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow’s accusations in both The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.
Gerwig collaborated with Allen in the 2012 film To Rome with Love, just two years before Farrow’s first letter regarding Allen’s assault saw the light of day. Since the allegations, it seemed Gerwig didn’t have an answer on her feelings regarding her past work with Allen, even on Jan. 7 at the Golden Globes backstage.
After winning her award for Lady Bird for Best Musical or Comedy, the press got right to the point to ask her if she regrets starring in To Rome with Love due to the allegations. Her reply was extremely vague.
“Well, you know, I’m so thrilled to be here tonight as a writer, and director, and creator, and to be making my own movies and to be putting that forward,” she told the press. “You know, it’s something that I’ve thought deeply about, and I care deeply about, and I haven’t had an opportunity to, um, have an in-depth discussion where I come down on one side or another. It’s something that I’ve definitely taken to heart, and honestly, my job right now, I think, is to occupy the position of writer and director, and to be that person, and to tell these stories.” Hmmm.
That’s not at all what everyone wanted to hear, but Gerwig must have realized that. Just two days later in an interview for The New York Times, Gerwig finally shed some light on that 2012 movie everyone just wants to know about.
“I would like to speak specifically to the Woody Allen question, which I have been asked about a couple of times recently, as I worked for him on a film that came out in 2012. It is something that I take very seriously and have been thinking deeply about, and it has taken me time to gather my thoughts and say what I mean to say,” Gerwig said. “I can only speak for myself and what I’ve come to is this: If I had known then what I know now, I would not have acted in the film. I have not worked for him again, and I will not work for him again. Dylan Farrow’s two different pieces made me realize that I increased another woman’s pain, and I was heartbroken by that realization. I grew up on his movies, and they have informed me as an artist, and I cannot change that fact now, but I can make different decisions moving forward.” Okay, that sounds like more of an answer.
I’m sure the topic is difficult because you simply cannot change the past, but I’m glad she finally expressed her feelings. The industry has taken quite the hold on sexual assault with the Time’s Up movement and the #MeToo hashtag and to have women directing and winning awards is a testament to their impact. Gerwig clearly doesn’t even need a director after her Golden Globe win for Lady Bird, so that’s something we can all applaud her for.