Woody Allen explained that he finds something “so silly” about being “canceled” in an interview with Variety where he dismissed his daughter Dylan Farrow’s allegations that he sexually abused her.
When asked if he feels he’s been canceled, the 87-year-old filmmaker told the publication at the Venice Film Festival over the weekend he doesn’t really know what that means.
“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 movies. What has changed is the presentation of the films,” he said. “I feel if you’re going to be canceled, this is the culture to be canceled by. I just find that all so silly.”
Allen’s comments come three decades after his ex-partner Mia Farrow accused him of sexually abusing their adoptive daughter, a matter that later became the subject of a 2021 HBO docuseries “Allen v. Farrow.”
Allen, who said the series’ filmmakers weren’t interested “in the truth,” pointed to investigators concluding that “there was no merit” to charges against him.
“There was nothing to it. The fact that it lingers on always makes me think that maybe people like the idea that it lingers on,” he told Variety.
“You know, maybe there’s something appealing to people. But why? Why? I don’t know what you can do besides having it investigated, which they did so meticulously.”
Stephane Cardinale-Corbis via Getty Images
The filmmaker, who has referred to himself as an advocate for the #MeToo movement, also shared that he thinks any movement that does something positive ― including those for women ― is a good thing, but then added that “when it becomes silly, it’s silly.”
“I read instances where it’s very beneficial, where the situation has been very beneficial for women, and that’s good. When I read of some instances in a story in the paper where it’s silly, then it’s foolish,” he said.
“It’s silly, you know, when it’s not really a feminist issue or an issue of unfairness to women. When it’s being too extreme in trying to make it into an issue when, in fact, most people would not regard it as any kind of offensive situation.”
Allen appeared at the festival to support the world premiere of his new film “Coup de Chance,” the 50th movie written and directed by him. He said he has to decide if he wants to make more movies in the time ahead.
“I have so many ideas for films that I would be tempted to do it, if it was easy to finance. But beyond that, I don’t know if I have the same verve to go out and spend a lot of time raising money,” said Allen, who previously cleared up reports that he was set to retire after the film.