JM: Of course. But how deep that change goes is not entirely clear. It amazes me how many otherwise progressive people are willing to look the other way when it comes to charges by Woody Allen's daughter Dylan that he molested her when she was seven. Some even vehemently defend him and insist the only possible reason she would make that claim was because her mother coerced her into it. It's true that a young child could be strongly influenced by her mother, but Dylan is still angrily making the same accusation about having been molested by Woody now, as a grown woman, and talking about the devastating effect the incident had on her life in the following years--and the betrayal it represented of her trust in her father. She has refused to have any contact with him for years. There are other indications that to me would seem to support her story--the judge in the ruling about child custody said that Dylan should never be left alone with Woody, and the fact that he was already receiving treatment for his "inappropriate" obsession with the little girl when the alleged incident occurred. Yet because of his status as an intellectual and artistic icon, many people refuse to even consider the possibility that her allegations are true.
Q: It's fascinating that Dylan's brother Ronan, who believes his sister's story and supports her 100%, grew up to be the writer who broke the story of sex abuse allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein--the story that initiated the tsunami of sexual abuse testimony by women.
JM: The MeToo and TimeUp movements are certainly creating a sea change in public attitudes towards sexual abuse directed against adults. Whether that new perception will also apply to believing the words of children remains to be seen.
J
(Article changed on January 20, 2019 at 23:35)
(Article changed on January 23, 2019 at 16:58)
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
5
4
2
