Alec Baldwin on Sunday continued to defend embattled director Woody Allen, who has been dogged by sexual abuse claims against him by adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow.
Previously, Baldwin called her allegations “unfair and sad.” On Sunday, he took it a step further and compared Dylan Farrow to Mayella Ewell, the character in the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, who falsely accuses an African-American man of rape.
“[One] of the most effective things Dylan Farrow has in her arsenal is the ‘persistence of emotion,'” Baldwin tweeted. “Like Mayella in [“To Kill a Mockingbird”], her tears/exhortations [are] meant [to] shame u [into] belief in her story. But I need more than that before I destroy [someone], regardless of their fame. I need a lot more.”
Baldwin followed that tweeted shortly after with: “To say that @RealDylanFarrow is telling the truth is to say that (brother) @MosesFarrow is lying. Which of Mia’s kids got the honesty gene and which did not?” He also shared a Sunday New York Times piece that discussed whether Allen would work in the business again.
Baldwin concluded with, “If my defense of Woody Allen offends you, it’s real simple. Unfollow. Condemn. Move on.”
Dylan Farrow on Sunday responded to Baldwin’s comments with a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
“It’s interesting that Mr. Baldwin chooses to dismiss the judgments of Justice Wilk and Prosecutor Frank Maco, who reviewed ALL of the evidence instead of just selected bits and pieces,” she said in her statement. “However, considering that Mr. Baldwin confidently invoked Mayella Ewell to make his point while forgetting that it’s been hotly debated that she was, in fact, raped by her father, demonstrates that perhaps Baldwin is just not a stickler for details.”
Moses Farrow claims the abuse allegations are false. Allen has always maintained his innocence and said the story of abuse was ingrained in Dylan’s mind by his ex-wife, Mia Farrow.
In a series of tweets posted Tuesday, Baldwin praised the director and also cast doubt on Dylan Farrow’s allegations.
“Woody Allen was investigated forensically by two states (NY and CT) and no charges were filed. The renunciation of him and his work, no doubt, has some purpose. But it’s unfair and sad to me. I worked with WA 3 times and it was one of the privileges of my career,” Baldwin wrote.
Allegations against Allen again resurfaced due to the #MeToo movement and Time’s Up initiative.
Actors Timothee Chalamet and Rebecca Hall pledged to donate their salaries from their work on Allen films to charity in light of the re-emergence of sexual abuse claims.
Baldwin previous stated, in his opinion, sexual abuse complaints should never be dismissed, but he says accusations should also be “treated carefully.”
“Is it possible to support survivors of pedophilia and sexual assault/abuse and also believe that WA is innocent? I think so,” Baldwin tweeted. “The intention is not to dismiss or ignore such complaints. But accusing ppl of such crimes should be treated carefully. On behalf of the victims, as well.”
1 of the most effective things Dylan Farrow has in her arsenal is the “persistence of emotion.” Like Mayella in TKAM, her tears/exhortations r meant 2 shame u in2 belief in her story.
But I need more than that before I destroy some1, regardless of their fame.
I need a lot more.— ABFoundation (@ABFalecbaldwin) January 28, 2018
To say that @RealDylanFarrow is telling the truth is to say that @MosesFarrow is lying.
Which of Mia’s kids got the honesty gene and which did not?https://t.co/vpPhe5VFcG— ABFoundation (@ABFalecbaldwin) January 28, 2018
If my defense of Woody Allen offends you, it’s real simple.
Unfollow.
Condemn.
Move on.— ABFoundation (@ABFalecbaldwin) January 28, 2018
Jan. 28, 4:20 p.m.: Updated with a comment from Dylan Farrow.
