Following a traumatic week of secrets, lies and alleged abuse, Dylan Farrow has shared why she sent the notorious open letter to the New York Times about Woody Allen.
“It took all of my strength and all of my emotional fortitude to do what I did this week in the hope that it would put the truth out there,” said Dylan in an interview with People magazine released on Thursday.
“That is my only ammunition. I don’t have money or publicists or limos or fancy apartments in Manhattan. All I have is the truth, and that is all I put out there.”
ANALYSIS: Dylan Farrow’s Op-Ed Targets Woody Allen But Could Hurt Cate Blanchett More
The 28-year-old writer revealed that the bombshell move to make the allegations that her adopted father molested her at age 7 did not come lightly.
“For as long as I could remember, my father had been doing things to me that I didn’t like,” she told People. Nor was it motivated by the desire to sabotage his Oscar chances; Blue Jasmine has three nominations.
“I’ve been hearing that a lot. I’m happy to answer that. My intention in writing that piece was to put the truth on paper from a voice that was not able to speak before.”
STORY: Woody Allen’s Lawyer: Dylan Molestation Charge ‘Implanted’ By Mia Farrow
“People are saying that I am not actually remembering what I remember. People are saying that my ‘evil mother’ brainwashed me, because they refuse to believe that my sick, evil father would ever molest me, because we live in this society where victim-blaming and inexcusable behavior — this taboo against shaming the famous at the expense of their victims — is accepted and excused.”
The ultimate motivation for Farrow to write the letter was in fact Allen being honored at the Golden Globes on Jan. 12 with the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement about which both her mother, Mia Farrow, and brother, Ronan Farrow, immediately tweeted their disgust.
“[Ronan] showed immense bravery for standing up for the family, and I realized it was my turn to stand up and to tell the truth,” she said.
Undeterred by the expected backlash, Farrow told the magazine: “I knew there were people saying I was a liar and that this was part of some smear campaign — some bitter vendetta of my mother’s,” and added: “I didn’t realize that it was going to be a betrayal of this magnitude.”
However, what really did hurt was her adopted brother, Moses Farrow, publicly voicing his support for Allen.
STORY: Lena Dunham Calls Dylan Farrow Open Letter ‘Courageous, Powerful and Generous’
“My mother drummed it into me to hate my father for tearing apart the family and sexually molesting my sister,” the 36-year-old said earlier this week, also in an interview with People. “And I hated him for her for years. I see now that this was a vengeful way to pay him back for falling in love with Soon-Yi.”
Dylan’s reaction to his harsh comments was both heartfelt and tearful, saying: “My brother has broken my heart. Moses divorced himself from the family a long time ago. I always missed him. I loved him, and I kept him in my thoughts. These lies — this betrayal — is unfathomable to me coming from a brother I loved and cherished and grew up with.”
“It’s lies. It’s all lies,” she claimed of his statement. “My memories are true. What happened to me as a little girl … is my cross to bear. But I will not see my family dragged down like this. I can’t stay silent when my family needs me.”
“Part of the reason why it was so hard for me to write the piece that I wrote was because once upon a time I loved my father so much.”
STORY: Woody Allen Responds to Dylan Farrow Abuse Claim
On Tuesday, Allen’s attorney, Elkan Abramowitz blamed Mia Farrow for what he called “false allegations.”
“[Dylan] was a pawn in a huge fight between [Allen] and Mia Farrow years ago, and the idea that she was molested was implanted in her by her mother.”
Abramowitz added that Allen’s reaction to Dylan’s letter is “one of overwhelming sadness because of what has happened to Dylan.”
Earlier this week, a rep for Allen told The Hollywood Reporter that the director “found it untrue and disgraceful.”
