Woody Allen said he was “always ready” to meet his estranged daughter Dylan as he again denied her claims that he sexually abused her.
Allen, 87, was in Venice, Italy, on Monday night for the premiere of his 50th film, “Coup de Chance.”
The film is unlikely to be shown in the US after Hollywood cut ties with it following his daughter’s allegations.
But he’s still working in Europe, and on Monday night he received a three-minute standing ovation for his new French-language film.
The reception was not universal, as a group of protesters expressed their anger at Allen’s presence in Venice, marching past and chanting in Italian: “We are the loud and violent cry of all the bodies that no longer have a voice.”
Woody Allen, 86, was joined by his wife Soon-Yi Previn, 52, at the premiere of the new film Coup De Chance in Venice on Monday evening
Woody Allen is pictured with daughter Dylan Farrow in 1988
Before the premiere, Allen said at a press conference that he felt like he had lived a very happy life and was happy to be healthy and able to continue making films.
But in an interview with Variety, the journalist reported that the experienced director became “gloomy” when asked about the allegations made by his now 38-year-old daughter.
Dylan Farrow claims Allen touched her inappropriately in August 1992, when she was seven years old.
She said he abused her in the attic of the Connecticut home where she lived with her mother, Mia Farrow, and her siblings, and touched her while she played with a toy train.
The allegations were investigated, but no charges were ever filed.
In 2014, the story resurfaced when Dylan Farrow spoke to New York Times columnist Nick Kristof.
Ronan Farrow, Dylan’s journalist brother, wrote about it in 2016, condemning Hollywood for continuing to work with their father. However, her brother Moses Farrow has consistently defended their father and accused Mia Farrow of leading Dylan to blame Woody out of anger over their divorce.
In 2018, Dylan Farrow spoke to CBS News and Woody Allen began paying a professional price for the allegations.
Dylan Farrow, now 38, is pictured in November 2021
Allen is pictured on Monday during a press conference promoting the coup de chance
Allen arrives in Venice on Monday for the photo shoot
The director is promoting his 50th film, shot in French, in France
Protesters shout as Allen arrives at the premiere of Coup de Chance in Venice on Monday evening
Women vent their anger when Allen arrives at the screening
Graffiti can be seen on the ground at a protest rally outside the Venice International Film Festival on Monday
He has always denied abusing her and reiterated his denial on Monday.
When asked about his reaction to the HBO documentary Allen v Farrow, which aired in February 2021, Allen told Variety, “My reaction was always the same.”
“The situation was investigated by two people, by two major bodies, not by people, but by two major investigative bodies.” And both, after long, detailed investigations, concluded that these allegations were unfounded, and that’s exactly what I wrote in my book “Apropos of Nothing”. There was nothing to it.
“The fact that it lasts always makes me think that maybe people like the idea of it lasting.” You know, maybe there’s something that appeals to people. But why? Why? I don’t know what can be done other than have the matter investigated, which they have done so meticulously. One lasted less than a year, the other several months. And they talked to everyone involved and, you know, they both came to exactly the same conclusion.”
Allen said he hasn’t seen Dylan or Ronan Farrow in years but wouldn’t say no if he met them.
“Always ready, but no, no…” he said.
Dylan’s allegations have divided Hollywood: actors including Kate Winslet, Greta Gerwig, Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Hall, Colin Firth, Natalie Portman and Mira Sorvino have all said they regret working with him.
Diane Keaton, Scarlett Johansson and Cate Blanchett – who won her Oscar in 2014 for the Allen-directed film “Blue Jasmine” – were all at his side. Blanchett said she disagreed with social media being “judge and jury” but said she would support it if there was a reason to reopen the investigation.
Woody Allen holds Dylan Farrow next to Mia Farrow and her son Ronan
Woody Allen and Dylan Farrow in Rome in 1991
Allen filed a $68 million lawsuit against Amazon Studios in 2019 after it backed out of a deal to distribute his film “A Rainy Day In New York”: the case was settled out of court.
His last film, Rifkin’s Festival, was only shown in 25 theaters in the United States.
But Allen shrugged off the idea of a “cancellation,” calling the concept “silly.”
“I feel like when you get canceled, that’s the cancel culture,” he told Variety.
“I just think it’s all so silly.” I don’t think about it. I don’t know what it means to be canceled. I know that over the years everything has been the same for me. I make my films.
“What has changed is the presentation of the films.” You know, I work and it’s the same routine for me. I write the script, collect the money, make the film, shoot it, edit it, then it comes out. The difference isn’t cancel culture. The difference lies in the way they present the films. “That’s the big change.”
Allen also said some of the implications of the #MeToo movement were “silly.”
“I think any movement that brings real benefit and does something positive, let’s say for women, is a good thing,” he said.
“When it gets silly, it’s silly.” I’ve read cases where it’s very advantageous, where the situation was very advantageous for women, and that’s a good thing.
“When I read about some places in a story in the newspaper where it’s silly, then it’s silly.”
When asked what he meant by “silly,” Allen replied, “It’s silly, you know, unless it’s really a feminist issue or an issue of injustice against women.” If you try to extremes to make it into a problem even though most people wouldn’t actually find it offensive.”
Allen has already hinted that “Coup de Chance” could be his last film.
However, on Monday he said he had a good idea for a story set in his native New York and would do it if he found a backer willing to accept his terms – not to read the script or to know who he cast.
“If some stupid person agrees to this, I will shoot the film in New York,” he said.