The four-part docuseries will premiere on HBO and be available to stream on HBO Max on Feb. 21
An explosive new HBO documentary is revisiting past allegations of sexual abuse against Woody Allen by his daughter Dylan Farrow.
Allen v. Farrow explores the private story behind the allegations against Allen, 85, by then-7-year-old Dylan, whom he adopted with actress Mia Farrow, as well as the subsequent fallout involving their custody trial and the revelation of Allen’s relationship with Mia’s daughter Soon-Yi Previn, who was also adopted.
“Who on Earth could have believed that of Woody Allen?” Mia, 75, asks in the trailer. “I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it.”
In another moment in the trailer, Dylan, now 35, says, “No matter what you think you know, it’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
The four-part series, which was shot in secret, includes new interviews with Mia, Dylan and Ronan Farrow, as well as their family friend and singer Carly Simon and prosecutor Frank Maco, as well as never-before-seen home footage from Mia and Allen’s life together before their split in 1992. Allen went on to marry Soon-Yi, 50, and the couple shares two daughters.
Allen and Soon-Yi did not participate in the series.
In late 2017, Allen faced resurfaced allegations of abuse by his daughter Dylan who claimed in a New York Times open letter in 2014 that Allen molested her as a child.
Allen has long denied the allegations, which were first reported during his split from Mia, with whom he also shares sons Moses and Ronan. He has maintained Mia coached their daughter and that a report by the Child Sexual Abuse Clinic of the Yale-New Haven Hospital, which said no abuse, had occurred proves his innocence.
The director was not charged, though a Connecticut prosecutor Maco said there was probable cause for a criminal case.
In March 2020, the Midnight in Paris director also came under fire for his memoir Apropos of Nothing which was dropped by Grand Central Publishing after employees staged a walkout in protest. It was later released by Arcade Publishing.
Allen touched on the negative public opinion surrounding him in the wake of Dylan’s allegations in his interview with The Guardian in May 2020.
“I assume that for the rest of my life a large number of people will think I was a predator,” said the director, who has previously said he plans to continue working until the end of his life.
“Anything I say sounds self-serving and defensive, so it’s best if I just go my way and work.”
Directed by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering (On The Record), HBO will premiere the first episode of Allen v. Farrow on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 9 p.m. ET, with new episodes airing every Sunday at the same time.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
[People]
