Gina Gershon Makes Her Stance On Woody Allen Clear

Woody Allen has led a legendary career — one that has been tainted by allegations of sexual assault that go back decades. In March 1993, his ex-partner Mia Farrow testified in court that she believed the filmmaker had abused their 7-year-old adopted daughter, Dylan, as The New York Times reported. That September, the judge decided that, even though he found there was "probable cause" to do so, he would not prosecute Allen to protect Dylan from having to testify at trial, according to The New York Times. Thus, Allen has never been prosecuted. 

For years, the issue seemed to have been buried and Allen continued to basque in glory. But when he won the Golden Globe for lifetime achievement in 2014, a debate ensued on whether a film giant should continue to be recognized for his work despite the child molestation accusations that haunted him. That February, Dylan Farrow, then 28, wrote an open letter for The New York Times in which she recounted her trauma — the first time she did so publicly. 

The debate resurfaced in light of the #MeToo movement, when many actors voiced regret about having worked with Allen, including Greta Gerwig, who told The New York Times she wouldn't have acted in "To Rome With Love" had she known the extent of the accusations. However, plenty of actors continue to collaborate with Allen. More recently, that includes Gina Gershon, who stars in "Rifkin's Festival."

Gina Gershon believes actors who don't feel comfortable working with Woody Allen "just shouldn't," she said in an interview with WGN9 on January 25 that also included her "Rifkin's Festival" co-star Wallace Shawn. For her part, she wanted to work with Allen because "he's a genius," opining, "It serves no one to keep great artists from working, even the alleged victims, right?" 

Gershon expressed regret that the public conversation around Allen had deviated from his work and focused on his personal life. "It makes me a little sad that that's how you lead this whole talk, talking about all that controversy instead of talking about what an incredible artist he is." In fact, Gershon feels honored about the opportunity. "For me, as an actress, he's been inspiring me ever since I can remember. So I was really thrilled to work with him," she said. After Shawn said he believes Allen is innocent and that everyone has "strange things in their background," Gershon put forward it didn't matter as it was a "family matter," adding, "It's not really any of our businesses, is it?"

Gershon and Shawn are far from being the only actors to have defended Allen. Perhaps most famously, the filmmaker's frequent collaborator Scarlet Johansson openly showed support for Allen in 2019 after dodging questions during a 2014 interview with The Guardian. "I love Woody," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "I believe him, and I would work with him anytime."

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.