Woody Allen’s son: ‘PR engine’ halted probes of alleged sexual abuse

The son of Woody Allen and actress Mia Farrow says the director’s “powerful publicist” pressured reporters to drop investigations into his alleged sexual abuse of Dylan Farrow, his then 7-year-old daughter.

In an essay in The Hollywood Reporter, Ronan Farrow says that Allen’s “PR engine revved into action” when allegations were raised that the Jewish filmmaker sexually assaulted his daughter.

“Every day, colleagues at news organizations forwarded me the emails blasted out by Allen’s powerful publicist,” writes Farrow. “Those emails featured talking points ready-made to be converted into stories, complete with validators on offer — therapists, lawyers, friends, anyone willing to label a young woman confronting a powerful man as crazy, coached, vindictive. At first, they linked to blogs, then to high-profile outlets repeating the talking points — a self-perpetuating spin machine.”

— JTA