Woody Allen’s lawyer has spoken out about the allegations made against his client on NBC’s Today show.
Elkan Abramowitz told host Savannah Guthrie that the
accusations made by Mia Farrow’s daughter Dylan have deeply affected the filmmaker.
“His reaction is one of overwhelming sadness because of what has happened to Dylan... She was a pawn in a huge fight between him and Mia Farrow years ago, and the idea that she was molested was implanted in her by her mother.”
He added: “That memory is never going to go away. So the fact that she says this now, that it happened 20 years ago, is totally understandable... In my view, she’s not lying. I think she truly believes this happened. That’s what the vice of this is.”
Abramowitz also said that Allen is not planning to take action: “Woody Allen is not interested in suing anybody for defamation. He was determined not to have molested his daughter 20 years ago. The case is over. There is no case. The fact that it is being brought up now is suspect.”
He explained: “They (the sex abuse clinic of Yale-New Haven) determined after six month’s inquiry, not only that it didn’t happen, but that Dylan was coached by her mother... Everyone talks about presumption of innocence. He IS innocent. They determined the molestation never took place.”
Dylan’s
open letter to the
New York Times, which accused the
Blue Jasmine director of abusing her, came after Allen received the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Golden Globes.