The 'Cafe Society' director initially said that he felt 'very sad for everybody involved' including the movie honcho and he warned off 'witch hunt.'
- Oct 16, 2017
AceShowbiz - Woody Allen backtracked on his initial remarks about Harvey Weinstein scandal. The actor/director previously said that he felt sympathy for everyone involved in the scandal, including the disgraced movie honcho. Allen himself has been haunted by allegations that he molested Dylan, the daughter of his ex Mia Farrow.
"The whole Harvey Weinstein thing is very sad for everybody involved," 81-year-old Allen initially told the BBC on Saturday, October 15. "Tragic for the poor women that were involved, sad for Harvey that his life is so messed up. There's no winners in that. It's just very, very sad and tragic for those poor women that had to go through that."
"You don't want it to lead to a witch-hunt atmosphere, a Salem atmosphere, where every guy in an office who winks at a woman is suddenly having to call a lawyer to defend himself. That's not right either. But sure, you hope that something like this could be transformed into a benefit for people rather than just a sad or tragic situation."
"No one ever came to me or told me horror stories with any real seriousness," the filmmaker said. "And they wouldn't, because you are not interested in it. You are interested in making your movie. But you do hear a million fanciful rumors all the time. And some turn out to be true and some - many - are just stories about this actress, or that actor."
After his comments sparked backlash, Woody Allen issued a new statement to do damage control. He said to Variety on Sunday, "When I said I felt sad for Harvey Weinstein I thought it was clear the meaning was because he is a sad, sick man. I was surprised it was treated differently. Lest there be any ambiguity, this statement clarifies my intention and feelings."
