Woody Allen, the controversial director, had plans to release a memoir titled “Apropos of Nothing” with the publisher Hachette Book Group on April 7. In light of the news, employees at the publishing company walked out in protest of Hachette’s decision to work with Allen despite Dylan Farrow’s (Allen’s adopted daughter) sexual allegations against him.
Employees at the publishing company held a walk out protest to stand in solidarity with Dylan Farrow and all sexual assault survivors on March 5. In response to the backlash, the publishing company decided to cancel the memoir.
In a sad irony, Hachette Book Group is the publishing company of Ronan Farrow’s recent book “Catch and Kill” detailing the investigation of rapist Harvey Weinstein. Ronan Farrow is the son of Woody Allen and Mia Farrow, brother of Dylan Farrow. He is a journalist best known for uncovering the sexual misconduct allegations of producer Harvey Weinstein in The New Yorker.
Ronan Farrow announced he was ending his relationship with Hachette Book Group. The New York Times reported Farrow sent an email to the chief executive of Hachette, Michael Pietsch, saying, “As you and I worked on ‘Catch and Kill’ — a book in part about the damage Woody Allen did to my family… you were secretly planning to publish a book by the person who committed those acts of sexual abuse… Obviously I can’t in good conscience work with you any more.”
Woody Allen has faced many controversies through the years. Despite the ugliness of his actions, he has been able to hold on to a substantial amount of success in Hollywood. Allen’s career should have been dead a long time ago.
In 1992, the sexual abuse allegations came to light. In 1997, Allen married his stepdaughter Soon-Yi Previn, whom he met when she was eight years old. Nonetheless, he has enjoyed a long and fruitful career. Many big names in Hollywood continue to praise him, or stay silent and complicit.
Stephen King was one of the people to come out in defense of Hachette Book Group, speaking out against the “censorship” taking place. King stated that he does not care for Woody Allen, but dislikes how the director has been “muzzled”. William Hughes from The A.V. Club sums it up best, “Allen could self-publish his book tomorrow, or drop it on the internet, or hire a skywriter to spray it across a clear blue sky, and no one would, or could, stop him from doing so. They just wouldn’t be obligated to give him any money for it.”
Woody Allen has far too long been coddled by Hollywood media, giving him a voice and platform when he is the least deserving.