In 2019, Scarlett Johansson, a leading actress, told The Hollywood Reporter about Woody Allen with fervent devotion: "I love Woody. I believe him, and I would work with him anytime." She is one of the few actors who remained loyal to the Oscar-winning director amid allegations by his stepdaughter, Dylan Farrow, of sexual abuse as a child. Since 1992, when the claims first surfaced (they were later investigated and dismissed by New York Social Services), Allen has faced ostracism in certain corners of Hollywood and a tarnished image due to the #MeToo movement. Despite this, he has consistently denied the allegations.
In a recent interview with The Telegraph about her directorial debut, Eleanor the Great, starring June Squibb, Johansson, who has worked with Allen on three of his films: Match Point (2005), Scoop (2006), and Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), was asked about her support for Allen in that THR piece and how she handled the "inevitable online furore." She pondered, "It's hard to know the exact domino effect, but my mom always encouraged me to be myself, emphasizing the importance of integrity and standing up for what you believe in."
She continued, "At the same time, I think it's also crucial to know when it's not your time to speak. I don't mean you should silence yourself; rather, sometimes it's simply not your moment. This understanding has grown as I've matured." Johansson also reiterated her belief in Allen to THR in 2019: "I see Woody whenever I can, and we've had many conversations about it. I've been very direct with him, and he's been very direct with me. He maintains his innocence, and I believe him."
Diane Keaton, who passed away in October, also defended Allen through the allegations. However, many actors who have worked with him, including Michael Caine, Timothée Chalamet, and Greta Gerwig, have publicly expressed regret about their collaborations. In recent years, he has struggled to secure U.S. distribution for his films.
In the same Telegraph piece, Johansson opened up about a financial backer of Eleanor the Great pulling out at the last minute due to Squibb's character, a Jewish woman, falsely claiming to be a Holocaust survivor. The investor's message was essentially: "Love the film, Scarlett, but we're not so keen on the whole Holocaust thing. Can we have the character lie about something else?" According to The Telegraph, no alternative was offered, and the character's lie was central to the film. "We had been discussing the film for months, and then this was the outcome?" she said. "It was really shocking, and I was so disappointed." An "emergency ring-round" soon brought Sony Pictures Classics on board as distributors.
