Judd Apatow Takes Diane Keaton to Task Over Woody Allen Defense
In what may be the first celebrity feud of 2018, filmmaker Judd Apatow has seen Diane Keaton’s defense of longtime friend and collaborator Woody Allen, and he’s not having any of it. Keaton took to Twitter to respond to the recently revived allegations against Allen, who was accused of sexually abusing his ex-wife’s daughter, Dylan Farrow. Farrow has revisited her trauma in recent months in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, which set off a tidal wave of similar allegations of sexual misconduct across the country.
Allen recently released an official statement that reiterated his denial of Farrow’s allegations and pointed to the original investigation. His comments echoed sentiments expressed in previous interviews, including a 1992 appearance on 60 Minutes — which Keaton shared to Twitter, urging her followers to watch and “see what you think.” Keaton, who has appeared in eight of his films, said, “Woody Allen is my friend and I continue to believe him.”
Apatow, whose credits include Funny People and Freaks and Geeks, responded to Keaton’s invitation:
Apatow shared some additional facts about the case that have perhaps been forgotten, while criticizing the filmmaker for his treatment of former family members. In the intervening years, few have come to Allen’s defense (Mia Farrow’s adopted son Moses has taken sides with Allen against his mother), though several actors have continued to work with the director despite the allegations.
But as the #MeToo movement (thankfully) shows no signs of slowing, many of Allen’s former stars have publicly expressed their regret in working with the director and have promised to never do so again. The growing list of names includes Greta Gerwig, Mira Sorvino (who shared her own allegations against Harvey Weinstein), and Rebecca Hall — the latter of whom joined fellow actors Timothée Chalamet, Griffin Newman and David Krumholtz in donating their salaries from Woody Allen films to charity.
Though it’s great to see Apatow continue to use his platform to call out misogyny and sexual violence, the filmmaker has been fairly selective in his criticisms. Apatow has remained silent on the subject of fellow Girls producer and writer Murray Miller, who was accused of sexually assaulting Aurora Perrineau (Lena Dunham walked back her initial defense of Miller). And he’s yet to comment on the allegations against James Franco, who was accused of sexual misconduct and abuses of power; Franco has starred in a few Apatow projects, including Pineapple Express, Knocked Up, and, most notably, Freaks and Geeks, which effectively launched his career.