The #MeToo movement was one of the greatest events that I got to witness first hand. Getting to see the long-suffering women that were trying to make careers in entertainment and politics spoke truth to power and held the men that had taken advantage of them for decades accountable.
Sexual misconduct in Hollywood was well-known, everybody knew about the term "casting couch" and the other casually misogynistic terms used by the Hollywood powerbrokers. Similar to how we all were painfully aware of possible sexual misconduct in the Catholic Church.
And we didn't acknowledge the problem until these institutions' victims came forth. They spoke up, loudly and without fear.
And when the victims spoke up, the institutions started crumbling. Bill Cosby went to jail. Harvey Weinstein is on trial. Roy Moore lost his election. Kevin Spacey will never work again. Charlie Rose and Matt Lauer lost their jobs.
However, some people got away with it. Bill Clinton, Brett Kavanaugh, and Donald Trump are a few examples of people that had credible sexual assault allegations leveled against them and will likely never be held accountable.
There is one #MeToo case I'd like to focus on today because it's one that I remain skeptical about. I know it doesn't look good for a white man to try to defend another white man in the court of public opinion, but I believe we must listen to and defend the innocent. And if there's enough room for doubt we must call that into account. Also, a lot of people don't know all the details, in this case, so we need to get the facts straight. I am referring of course to Woody Allen.
Allen is a comedian, writer, director, and sometimes actor whose career has spanned decades. He releases a film a year, however, he usually only puts them in smaller theaters.
His movies such as Annie Hall, Manhattan, Hannah and her Sisters, Midnight in Paris, and countless others are discussed and debated in film schools. Justifiably so as he has more Oscar nominations for writing than anybody else.
If Allen had an untarnished record, his legacy as a great film writer would be etched in stone and as he approaches the end of his life, he would be showered in accolades for his accomplishments (despite the fact that he never goes to award shows).
However, in 1992, it was alleged that he molested his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow.
The accusation was investigated by the Connecticut State Attorney and the New York Department of Social Services, and neither investigation put forward any evidence. Despite this, a judge ruled in 1993 that Allen was not permitted to visit Dylan.
Since then Allen has continued his work, in 2002 he was invited to the Academy Awards to give a speech about the greatness of filming movies in his home city of New York after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In 2014, he won an Academy Award for Midnight in Paris.
The allegations eventually went away, and many actors eagerly worked with Allen since then due to how much of an honor it is to get the chance.
However, as the #MeToo movement proved to be a powerhouse that wouldn't be stopped, the allegations resurfaced and an adult Dylan Farrow repeated the allegations in an interview.
Many actors and actresses took to condemning Allen and promised to never work with him again. However, actors such as Diane Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Miley Cyrus, and Javier Bardem have defended Allen.
Despite this, Amazon has recently ended its deal with Allen, his latest film might not get to be seen in theaters and perhaps none of his future works will be seen again.
Woody Allen's own wife, Soon-Yi Previn, who was the adopted daughter of Mia Farrow and Andre Previn, although she says Allen never acted in a paternal way towards her when he was dating her mom, defended her husband in an interview from Vulture.
The article was criticized because the author was a friend of Allen's and interviewed Soon-Yi in his presence. A popular allegation is that Allen groomed her.
The dismissal of Soon-Yi Previn's testimony is laced with misogyny. The idea that an Asian immigrant with her Master's degree is completely beholden to her husband, serving as his puppet, is incredibly demeaning towards all women.
And Previn has repeatedly said that she was physically abused by her adopted mother, Mia Farrow. Farrow's adopted son, Moses Farrow has also repeated this claim. Is it not hypocritical of #MeToo movement to refuse to listen to a woman about abuse. Is it fair that we give a platform to Dylan Farrow (who should have a platform) but refuse to listen to another woman?
If the #MeToo movement has taught us anything it's that women deserve voices. You cannot pick and choose the women you listen to.
If there is ever new evidence of Allen's crimes I'll change my stance. I haven't watched any Kevin Spacey films since his "#MeToo moment" even though American Beauty and L.A. Confidential remain two of my favorites.
But, assuming that day never comes, I believe we should protect the reputation of one of America's greatest writers.
