A continuously updated catalog of celebrities expressing remorse over their involvement with the filmmaker
Authored by Pahull Bains
Published January 23, 2018
What the period following Harvey Weinstein's downfall has quickly come to represent is an era where men are finally facing consequences for their misconduct—ranging from sexual harassment and impropriety to abuse and even rape. However, the removal of these men from positions of authority and privilege marks just the beginning. The real strength of the #metoo movement lies not in these immediate outcomes (though they are urgently needed), but in the shifting conversations occurring globally—in workplaces, homes, and private spaces—as a direct result. Individuals everywhere, whether famous or ordinary, are finally starting to reflect, examine their own behaviors and past choices, and reassess how they interact with and show empathy toward women.
The effects of this cultural shift will persist for many years, and indeed, efforts to make amends have already started. (Better late than never.) Over the last several months, numerous actors and actresses who appeared in Woody Allen films have publicly expressed regret for their involvement, often in statements or interviews. Many of these declarations follow a Los Angeles Times op-ed by Dylan Farrow, Allen's daughter, who has long alleged that he molested her when she was seven. In her piece titled "Why has the #MeToo revolution spared Woody Allen?," she writes: "We are in the midst of a revolution. From allegations against studio heads and journalists, to hotel maids recounting abuses on the job, women are exposing the truth and men are losing their jobs. But the revolution has been selective."
That revolution is no longer selective. Accountability has finally reached Allen, with nearly a dozen public figures distancing themselves from the Oscar-winning writer and director. Below is a list of all the actors and actresses—so far—who have changed their stance.
Griffin Newman Last October, in a Twitter thread that made him the first to openly express regret for working with Allen, actor Griffin Newman—who appears in the upcoming A Rainy Day in New York—wrote: "I need to get this off my chest: – I worked on Woody Allen’s next movie. – I believe he is guilty. – I donated my entire salary to RAINN."
Ellen Page In a November 2017 Facebook post about her negative experience working with Brett Ratner, Page—who collaborated with Allen on 2012's To Rome With Love—stated: "I did a Woody Allen movie and it is the biggest regret of my career. I am ashamed I did this. I had yet to find my voice and was not who I am now and felt pressured, because 'of course you have to say yes to this Woody Allen film.' Ultimately, however, it is my choice what films I decide to do and I made the wrong choice. I made an awful mistake."
David Krumholtz Earlier this month, actor David Krumholtz shared with his Twitter followers: "I deeply regret working with Woody Allen on Wonder Wheel. It’s one of my most heartbreaking mistakes. We can no longer let these men represent us in entertainment, politics, or any other realm. They are beneath real men."
The following day, in an interview with IndieWire, he discussed "being moved by that [Time's Up] movement and being a father of a daughter, and feeling like it’s time at the very least, whether or not you believe Woody or you believe Dylan, it’s time for Mr. Allen to stop making inappropriate films about February/December relationships." He also mentioned donating his salary from the film to Time's Up.
Greta Gerwig Writer, director, and actor Greta Gerwig—who worked with Allen on To Rome With Love—was asked in an earlier interview with the New York Times whether, regarding figures like Roman Polanski and Woody Allen, we should "care about, reward or punish what artists do beyond the parameters of their art." Gerwig responded: "I would like to speak specifically to the Woody Allen question, which I have been asked about a couple of times recently, as I worked for him on a film that came out in 2012. It is something that I take very seriously and have been thinking deeply about, and it has taken me time to gather my thoughts and say what I mean to say. I can only speak for myself and what I’ve come to is this: If I had known then what I know now, I would not have acted in the film. I have not worked for him again, and I will not work for him again. Dylan Farrow’s two different pieces made me realize that I increased another woman’s pain, and I was heartbroken by that realization. I grew up on his movies, and they have informed me as an artist, and I cannot change that fact now, but I can make different decisions moving forward."
Mira Sorvino In an open letter to Dylan Farrow on HuffingtonPost.com, Mira Sorvino—who worked with Allen in 1995 on Mighty Aphrodite—wrote: "I confess that at the time I worked for Woody Allen I was a naive young actress. I swallowed the media’s portrayal of your abuse allegations against your father as an outgrowth of a twisted custody battle between Mia Farrow and him, and did not look further into the situation, for which I am terribly sorry."
Rebecca Hall Actress Rebecca Hall, who collaborated with Allen twice—on 2008's Vicki Cristina Barcelona and again in the upcoming A Rainy Day in New York—issued a statement on Instagram: "After reading and re-reading Dylan Farrow’s statements of a few days ago and going back and reading the older ones – I see, not only how complicated this matter is, but that my actions have made another woman feel silenced and dismissed." She added that she had donated her salary from the film to Time's Up.
Timothee Chalamet The 22-year-old actor was asked in a recent CNN interview with Christiane Amanpour if he had any "qualms" about working with Allen on his upcoming film, and he gave a measured response: "It’s going to be really important for me to talk about that. I hesitate to talk about it right now, because what I say will only — it’s only going to anger people. So when that film comes out — if it comes out — it’s going to be really important to talk about. But that’s not the time right now." However, just a week later, he released the following statement via Instagram: "I have been asked in a few recent interviews about my decision to work on a film with Woody Allen last summer. I’m not able to answer the question directly because of contractual obligations. But what I can say is this: I don’t want to profit from my work on the film, and to that end, I am going to donate my entire salary to three charities: TIME’S UP, The LGBT Center in New York, and RAINN. I want to be worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with the brave artists who are fighting for all people to be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve."
Rachel Brosnahan The actress, who recently won a Golden Globe for her leading role in Amazon Prime's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and previously worked with Allen on 2016's A Crisis in Six Scenes (also for Amazon Studios), said in an interview on the Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast: "I do have to take this opportunity to say that, for me, I have really struggled with the decision to do that project for a long time. Honestly, it’s the decision that I have made in my life that is the most inconsistent with everything I stand for and believe in, both publicly and privately. And while I can’t take it back, it’s important to me, moving forward, to make decisions that better reflect the things that I value and my worldview."
Colin Firth Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth, who starred in Allen's 2013 film Magic in the Moonlight alongside Emma Stone, gave the most concise statement to the Guardian on the same day CBS News aired Dylan Farrow's first televised interview: "I wouldn’t work with him again."
Marion Cotillard In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter last week, the Oscar-winning French actress—who worked with Allen on Midnight in Paris in 2011—offered a somewhat vague statement, indicating she would likely not collaborate with him again while maintaining her lack of knowledge on the matter. "I’m very ignorant of what he did or he didn’t do, I just see people suffering and it’s terrible. I have to say today, yeah, if he were to ask me again – I don’t think it would ever happen because the experience we had together was very odd. I admire some of his work but we had no connection on set. But I have to say if he asked me to today I would question more, I would dig more. I don’t know, I’m very ignorant about this story and I just see that it hurts to see people suffering."
