8 rumors about Woody Allen that have been circulating for decades

He was accused of molesting his daughter

Dylan Farrow, his adopted daughter with then-girlfriend Mia Farrow, has been accusing Woody Allen of molesting her since she was 7 years old. In 1992, Dylan told her mother that while she was out one day and under Allen’s care, he brought her up to the attic and took advantage of her. While her estranged brother Moses denies this, her other brother, Ronan and Mia have continued to advocate for her. An investigation was conducted and deemed inconclusive. Mia chose not to push on, to not cause Dylan any further mental distress. In 2013, Dylan also wrote an op-ed about her father’s alleged sexual abuse.

He sort of admitted his guilt

Woody Allen had reportedly been in therapy for alleged inappropriate behavior toward Dylan with a child psychologist before the abuse allegation was presented to the authorities or made public. 

He has a history of going for 17 year olds

Allen’s first wife, Harlene Rosen, was 17 years old when they got together; he was 20. He then began a relationship with Stacey Nelkin when she was 17 years old and still a high school student; he was 42 at the time. They dated for two years, and today Nelkin refers to him as a father figure.

He is not Ronan Farrow’s biological father

In her 2013 memoir, What Falls Away, Mia Farrow claimed that Frank Sinatra might be Ronan’s real father because despite their divorce, their relationship never really ended. Ronan (whose birth name is actually Satchel) is the only biological child between Farrow and Allen. 

He had an affair with his daughter

A month after formally adopting Mia Farrow’s two children, Dylan and Moses, Mia Farrow found nude photos of her other adopted daughter, Soon-Yi, in Woody’s drawer. That is how the affair was discovered. At the time, it is believed that Soon-Yi was between 19 and 21 years old. (Soon-Yi was abandoned as a child; her exact age and birthdate are unknown.) While Allen never legally adopted Soon-Yi, he was very involved for much of her upbringing, considering his other children as her siblings. And now stepchildren too — gross.

He tried to seduce a teenage Mariel Hemingway

Mariel Hemingway — Ernest Hemingway’s granddaughter — recounts a time when Allen tried to seduce the then 18-year-old with the guise of bringing her to Paris for a movie. Her parents didn’t interfere, but Hemingway confronted him herself, asking, “There is only one hotel room isn’t there?” She pulled out of the movie.

He’s difficult to work with

Many actors that have starred in his films credit his brilliance, but a few others have also criticized the director’s ways. Most recently, Bruce Willis was fired from Café Society, citing scheduling conflicts, but photos have proved that Willis was in fact on location. Rumor has it that Allen lost patience with Willis after he had a hard time memorizing his lines and let him go.

He’s a racist

If you’ve seen at least a few of Woody Allen’s movies, you’ve undoubtedly notice a common thread — white actors. When questioned about the lack of diversity in his films, Allen said, “I cast only what’s right for the part. Race, friendship means nothing to me except who is right for the part.”

In other words, it’s not his job to contribute to this much-needed change because he only writes roles for white people.