Woody Allen's adopted daughter has spoken publicly for the first time, publishing an open letter in the New York Times, in which she details the veteran filmmaker's alleged abuse of her as a child.
Dylan Farrow, now nearly 30 and living under another name in the States, writes on Nicholas Kristof's blog, alleging that Allen took her to an attic of the family home in upstate New York, where he made her lie down, play with her brother's train set while he sexually assaulted her.
"He talked to me while he did it, whispering that I was a good girl, that this was our secret, promising that we’d go to Paris and I’d be a star in his movies," she writes.
Woody Allen has always denied these allegations, saying his former partner Mia Farrow brainwashed their daughter into believing he had assaulted her
She details how Allen's constant attentions to her made her uneasy, and she eventually asked her mother Mia Farrow if it was normal, which prompted an enormous split in the family, and an investigation into Allen's behaviour. He was not charged of anything, but denied visitation rights to his children.
Allen, now 78, has always denied the allegations. The understated director was seen last night in New York attending a basketball game with his two adopted daughters.
Dylan Farrow's decision to write now has been prompted, it appears, by Woody Allen's most recent Oscar nomination, for his film 'Blue Jasmine' starring Cate Blanchett.
Woody Allen with his latest leading lady, Cate Blanchett, nominated for an Oscar in 'Blue Jasmine'
Dylan is equally contemptuous of Hollywood figures including Diane Keaton, Scarlett Johansson and Emma Stone, asking them:
"What if it had been your child, Cate Blanchett? Louis CK? Alec Baldwin? What if it had been you, Emma Stone? Or you, Scarlett Johansson? You knew me when I was a little girl, Diane Keaton. Have you forgotten me?
"Woody Allen is a living testament to the way our society fails the survivors of sexual assault and abuse."
The allegations were investigated at the time, when the seven-year-old Dylan was questioned by a catalogue of psychiatrists.
Woody Allen and his former partner Mia Farrow, back in 1983, before their bitter split
The 1992 scandal came at the same time as Allen split from his longtime partner Mia Farrow, when she discovered he was having an affair with her adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn. Allen later married Soon-Yi, and the couple now have two adopted children themselves. Soon-Yi is estranged from the rest of the family.
Mia Farrow and her son Ronan have both stood by the allegations made by Dylan, making their displeasure clear at the recent praise heaped on Woody Allen at the Golden Globe Awards, where he received the Cecil B DeMille lifetime achievement award.
Mia Farrow wrote on Twitter: "Time to grab some icecream & switch over to #GIRLS"
While her son Ronan was more explicit...
"Missed the Woody Allen tribute - did they put the part where a woman publicly confirmed he molested her at age 7 before or after Annie Hall?"