Woody Allen worries Weinstein case could 'lead to a witch hunt atmosphere'

Woody Allen and Harvey Weinstein.
(Image credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Woody Allen has weighed in on the allegations of sexual misconduct made against Harvey Weinstein and reported on by Allen's son, Ronan Farrow, saying he feels "very sad for everybody involved" but he's also concerned that it "could lead to a witch hunt atmosphere, a Salem atmosphere."

Farrow interviewed more than 10 women for his New Yorker article, and they told him that Weinstein, a powerful producer, sexually harassed or assaulted them. Allen can credit Weinstein with helping him recover professionally in the early 1990s, after he was accused of molesting his adopted daughter with Mia Farrow, Dylan, which he has denied. Allen and Weinstein worked together on films like Mighty Aphrodite, and Allen told the BBC that while you hear "a million fanciful rumors" while working in Hollywood, he never heard "these horror stories" about Weinstein. No one ever approached Allen with allegations against Weinstein, he said, "and they wouldn't, because you are not interested in it. You are interested in making your movie."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.