Today, Woody Allen’s son, Ronan Farrow, penned a blistering column for The Hollywood Reporter in which he criticizes the way media largely celebrate and accept his father—even while allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct surround the famous director. Farrow’s column, “My Father, Woody Allen, and the Danger of Questions Unasked,” is in response to Allen’s release of the new film “Cafe Society,” at the Cannes Film Festival this week. Farrow, a journalist himself, criticizes the way media and reporters have failed to ask probing questions and take risks to find the truth about Allen’s accusers. He writes:
Very often, women with allegations do not or cannot bring charges. Very often, those who do come forward pay dearly, facing off against a justice system and a culture designed to take them to pieces. A reporter’s role isn’t to carry water for those women. But it is our obligation to include the facts, and to take them seriously. Sometimes, we’re the only ones who can play that role.
…
That kind of silence isn’t just wrong. It’s dangerous. It sends a message to victims that it’s not worth the anguish of coming forward. It sends a message about who we are as a society, what we’ll overlook, who we’ll ignore, who matters and who doesn’t. We are witnessing a sea change in how we talk about sexual assault and abuse. But there is more work to do to build a culture where women like my sister are no longer treated as if they are invisible. It’s time to ask some hard questions.
Farrow also notes that he’s seeing improvement in the way sexual assault is covered, specifically mentioning Buzzfeed and Gawker’s reporting on stories of sexual assault. But for some reason people ignore his dad.
