Allen vs Farrow

A very good documentary about Woody Allen and the allegations of sexual abuse against him from Mia Farrow, Woody's girlfriend Back in 1992. She accused him of the sexually abusing her seven year old daughter.

..but wait, there's more. Before this happened, Woody was discovered having an affair with another of Mia's daughters, who was at the time between fifteen and seventeen years old when it started. Mia discovered the affair when the daughter, Soon-Yi, was in her first year of college. Mia discovered a stack of pornographic pictures of Soon-Yi in Woody's apartment. Woody never denied the affair and, in fact, ended up marrying Soon-Yi. He was fifty-six. She was twenty-one. For the record, they are still married and have 2 children together.

As for the seven year old girl, Woody was never formally charged.

Some people believe that Mia made up the sexual abuse of her daughter after Woody left her for Soon-Yi, that she made an impressionable seven year old say what she wanted her to say to help destroy the man who jilted her after their twelve year realationship together. Others believed Mia and the child and the witnesses plus the testimony of trained psychologists and case workers. The evidence seemed overwhelming that Woody was guilty of this crime. it is widely believed that he used his influence as a legendary film maker to make sure that he was never indicted, but the fact remains that he was never charged with any crime.

He was never indicted on the criminal charges but did go to court in an attempt to gain sole custody of three of Mia's children who were formally adopted by Woody before all this began. Many people believe he only did this in an attempt to make himself look like a loving 'parent' who wanted to get the kids away from their evil mother.

The 4 part documentary (~4 hours total running time) is a fascinating look into the story that made headlines for years when it dragged out in courts back in the late 90s.

I was always a big Woody Allen fan, just as I was a big Michael Jackson fan. Personally, I believe Michael was a pedophile, but I still listen to his music. I also believe that Woody may have abused Mia's 7 year old daughter, but I still like his movies (some of them).

Nobody knows with certainty whether Michael or Woody did what they were accused of except for the people directly involved. The rest of us make up our minds based on what we read and see on TV. If we do believe a celebrity is guilty of a crime such as pedophilia, should we stop watching them or listening to them, or reading their books, or seeing their movies? Can we separate the art from the artist? Can we appreciate their positive contributions to the world while condemning them for their behavior in private life? It's an interesting question.

Many celebrities who publicly supported Woody when all of this was taking place have since changed their minds. Very few people in Hollywood today stand at Woody's side. The powers that be refused to put Woody's latest film in U.S. theaters although it did play over seas.