Apparently, Scarlett Johansson enjoys digging herself into holes. Whether it’s whitewashing Ghost in the Shell, being cast as a trans character instead of a trans actor (though she did back out of the role), or claiming she should be allowed to “any person, or any tree, or any animal”, the actress is no stranger to controversy. This time she’s dug herself a hole by defending Woody Allen.
Woody Allen has been losing favor in Hollywood for a few years now following Dylan Farrow’s renewed allegations against him. Farrow has long accused Allen, her estranged father, of molesting her as a child, but the allegations went largely ignored and Allen was allowed to continue his career without consequence. However, thanks to the #MeToo Movement, Farrow’s allegations against Allen have gained more attention. Amazon has cut ties with him, actors who previously starred in his films have distanced themselves from him, and some have even donated their paycheck from the movie to charity. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean the controversial director is without allies taking his side.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Johansson was asked about her past collaborations with Allen and whether she would work with him again. “I love Woody,” she said. “I believe him, and I would work with him anytime.” Johansson also said that she sees Allen whenever she can and has discussed the allegations with him many times. “I have been very direct with him,” she said, “and he’s very direct with me. He maintains his innocence, and I believe him.” It’s easy to excuse alleged sexual assault of a minor when you think of the accused as a great director (even though his films are essentially all the same).
Johansson has rightfully faced a lot of pushback for her comments, including from Farrow herself. “Because if we’ve learned anything from the past two years it’s that you definitely should believe male predators who ‘maintain their innocence’ without question,” Farrow tweeted. “Scarlett has a long way to go in understanding the issue she claims to champion.” According the Hollywood Reporter profile, Johansson has been involved in the Time’s Up movement from the beginning, but her continued support of Allen sends a clear message that she does not believe women when they come forward with sexual assault allegations.
Farrow’s continued courage is admirable. Coming forward about Allen’s alleged abuse and standing strong against his defenders takes an incredible amount of bravery. If Johansson truly championed the Time’s Up movement as she claims, she would have distanced herself from Allen long ago, but instead she decided to prioritize the “artist” over the people he has allegedly hurt. In an unsurprising move, Johansson continues to show a lack of respect for anyone who is not her.
(Image: Peter Kramer / Getty)
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