Famed New York restaurateur Keith McNally reiterated his longstanding support for Woody Allen, declaring from his hospital bed before kidney stone surgery that critics of his support for Allen could “piss off” if he died.
McNally, the 72-year-old owner of places like Balthazar and Pastis, posted a photo from his hospital bed on Monday.
He said he was visiting London, where he was born, and became ill.
“Tomorrow at noon I will undergo laser surgery to remove the kidney stone,” he wrote.
“If I don’t make it out of here alive, I want to now say a big F*** OFF to everyone on Instagram who criticized me for supporting the INNOCENT Woody Allen.”
McNally, who enjoys sharing his provocative opinions online – he has defended Ghislaine Maxwell and shamed James Corden in the past – has been a vocal supporter of Allen for years.
Keith McNally posted this photo from his hospital bed in London. He wrote: “Tomorrow at noon I will be having laser surgery to remove the kidney stone.” If I don't make it out of this alive, I would now like to thank everyone on Instagram who criticized me for supporting the INNOCENT Woody Allen. say a big F*** OFF.
Woody Allen, now 88, can be seen at a premiere of his film Coup de Chance in Rome in September
McNally, 72, is seen eating at Balthazar, which he opened in 1997. The restaurant is now a celebrity hotspot, with Anna Wintour, Meryl Streep and Sienna Miller all regulars
Allen has been plagued by controversy for decades – starting when he became romantically involved with his stepdaughter Soon-Yi Previn.
Soon-Yi and Allen began dating in January 1992: he was 56 and she was 21. Allen and Mia Farrow separated and Allen and Soon-Yi married in 1997.
They are still married today and are the adoptive parents of two daughters, 24-year-old Bechet and 23-year-old Manzie Tio.
Allen found himself embroiled in scandal again when his daughter Dylan – whom he adopted with Farrow in 1991 – accused him of sexually abusing her when she was seven.
He has always denied her allegations and has not been charged – although a prosecutor in Connecticut said there was probable cause for a criminal case.
In 2013, Dylan spoke publicly about the alleged encounter for the first time in an interview with Vanity Fair.
In 2017, at the height of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the #MeToo movement, Dylan wrote an editorial in the Los Angeles Times criticizing the industry for giving her father a pass.
McNally, front center, is seen with his staff and chefs at his Manhattan restaurant Balthazar
In a family photo, Allen can be seen with his daughter Dylan. Second on the right is Soon-Yi, whom he would marry when she was 21 and he was 56
Allen and his wife Soon-Yi are pictured in New York City in 2016
Woody Allen and Mia Farrow with their children Dylan and Ronan in 1988. Dylan now claims Allen sexually abused her when she was seven years old
McNally joined Instagram in 2020 and within two weeks had defended Allen.
Allen filmed “Melinda and Melinda,” starring Radha Mitchell, in 2003 at McNally’s restaurant Pastis — and McNally has been a fan ever since.
McNally condemned Allen's publisher Hachette for refusing to publish Allen's memoirs in the wake of the scandal and accused Allen's son Ronan Farrow – who has sided with his sister Dylan – of working to turn the director onto the film blacklist.
“Silencing Woody Allen is an abuse of power by Ronan Farrow,” McNally wrote in March 2020.
“Hachette’s cowardly rejection of Woody Allen’s memoir harms free speech and signals a dangerous victory for censorship of those who scream loudest.”
Allen's comments drew cries of protest, but he continued to double down.
In October 2020, McNally explained that Allen had filmed scenes in Pastis in 2003 and had to reshoot them.
McNally wrote: “Perversely, I charged a quarter of the original fee I had charged two months earlier.”
“Woody Allen was so amazed that a New Yorker had not taken advantage of the opportunity that he personally came to Pastis to thank me.”
“Even though he shook my hand on a wet fish, I wouldn't have charged him if I had known that he would later be persecuted by the #MeToo movement and by half of the film industry for an act for which he was never guilty was found to be avoided.” at all.'
And on Dec. 1, McNally wrote, “Happy 88th birthday, Woody Allen!”
“If Michelangelo were born in Flatbush, his name would be Woody Allen.
“Allen is a great filmmaker, but… an even greater man.”