Woody Allen’s son Ronan Farrow has condemned his own publisher, Hachette, for secretly picking up his father’s memoir.
The filmmaker’s new book, titled Apropos of Nothing, is being published by the same company that released Farrow’s Catch and Kill, detailing his investigations into cases of sexual abuse.
In a statement poster to his Twitter account, Farrow wrote that he was “disappointed” to learn Hachette had “concealed” its decision to publish Allen’s memoir.
He added: “My sister Dylan has never been contacted to respond to any denial or mischaracterisation of the abuse she suffered at the hands of Woody Allen – a credible allegation, maintained for almost three decades, backed up by contemporaneous accounts and evidence.”
Ronan’s post follows one shared by his sister Dylan – who has previously accused Allen of molesting her when she was a child – in which she called Hachette’s actions an “utter betrayal” against her brother and said she had not been contacted by any fact checkers to verify her father’s memoir. Allen has always denied allegations of abuse.
Ronan said it was “wildly unprofessional” for Hachette to “behave in this way” and that it shows a “lack of ethics and compassion for victims of sexual abuse”.
He concluded that he cannot work with a publisher “that would conduct itself in this way… in good conscience”.
The Independent has contacted Hachette for comment.
According to Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette, Allen’s memoir is a “comprehensive account of his life, both personal and professional, and describes his work in films, theatre, television, nightclubs, and print”.
In it, “Allen also writes of his relationships with family, friends, and the loves of his life”.
Publication of Allen’s book appears to have been a struggle. Several publishers reportedly rejected the memoir, citing #MeToo concerns, prior to Hatchette’s involvement.
Apropos of Nothing will be released on 7 April.
