In what has to be one of the most heart-wrenching and shocking letters ever made public, Dylan Farrow has penned an open-letter speaking out about the years of sexual abuse she suffered under her adoptive famous father, filmmaker Woody Allen.
Allen has been the subject of sexual abuse allegations for many years. In fact, his former wife, and Dylan’s adopted mother, Mia Farrow claimed in 1992 that she knew Allen had abused their daughter. Though the 78 year old Allen was investigated, the charges were not pursued at Dylan was said to be too fragile to go through a trial.
Allen, who actually married his adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn, was blasted by former spouse Mia Farrow in a very public way after the filmmaker was the subject of a Golden Globe tribute. As reported in Newsday, Farrow tweeted “A woman has publicly detailed Woody Allen’s molestation of her at age 7,” in reference to daughter Dylan. She goes on, “Is he a pedophile?” and directs her followers to read a Vanity Fair article where Farrow’s family was featured. Her son Ronan Farrow was equaled appalled by the tribute, as confirmed in his tweet:
Ronan Farrow ✔ @RonanFarrow
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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?
8:15 PM – 12 Jan 2014
Allen has remained mum for the most part, but has steadfastly denied any claims of child abuse made against him. Given that he hid a relationship between he and Farrow’s adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn from Farrow, many believe he was capable of the sexual abuse claims made against him. In fact, Farrow found out about the relationship between Allen and Previn when she found nude photos the filmmaker, 56 at the time, took of Soon-Yi who was a mere 21 at the time. It is about being in a position of the adult, the father-figure, the one that the children should be able to trust to protect them from harm, and he has continuously abused that role by taking advantage of the children whom he seems to see with the eyes of a predator rather than a father.
In Dylan’s letter, she is very specific about the abuse and writes in great detail about the horrific things she was subjected to by Allen. A victim of years of abuse, Farrow claims that she had to resort to hiding from Allen, but that that was not enough. She claims he would always find her. The open letter, published in the New York Times, is a horrific account of some of the abuse Farrow endured. The letter is impossible to read without feeling an intense anger towards Allen and incredible sadness for Farrow.
Farrow shares in her letter, “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.“
It goes on, and for those who can stomach it, the full letter can read in its entirety in the New York Times. While it is doubtful Allen will finally make any admission of abusing any of his children, we can only hope the truth will come out and all victims of any abuse are getting the help and care they need to recover from such a horrific childhood. Dylan finally spoke out against Hollywood for praising Allen at the Academy Awards, and apparently felt the time was right. Whether or not Allen stays mum is unknown, but I have a feeling we sure have not heard the end of this.
