The actress Mira Sorvino, who appeared in Woody Allen's film Mighty Aphrodite, has penned an official apology to Dylan Farrow, who accused Allen of sexual assault in 1993.
"I am writing to express my belief in and support of you," Sorvino began.
In a piece for the LA Times published in December, Farrow called upon Hollywood to condemn Allen, who has remained a successful writer and director despite the accusation levelled against him. In the piece, Farrow named actresses who'd worked with Allen, questioning their continuing support of the director. She pointed out that Blake Lively, Kate Winslet, and Greta Gerwig had all waffled when asked about Allen. (Gerwig has since expressed regret about working with Allen. She apologized to Farrow in an interview with the New York Times this week.)
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"It meant the world to me when Ellen Page said she regretted working with Allen, and when actresses Jessica Chastain and Susan Sarandon told the world why they never would," Sorvino added.
In an essay published in 2014, Farrow also called out Emma Stone, Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, Louis C.K., and Alec Baldwin.
Sorvino is one of the actresses who came forward with accusations against the film titan Harvey Weinstein. She gave her story to Ronan Farrow, Dylan's brother, who published Sorvino's account in The New Yorker. In her apology, Sorvino explained how speaking with Ronan gave her insight into Dylan's story. Sorvino revealed that she'd never investigated Farrow's case, despite the fact that much of the information surrounding it is publicly available.
"I am so sorry, Dylan! I cannot begin to imagine how you have felt, all these years as you watched someone you called out as having hurt you as a child, a vulnerable little girl in his care, be lauded again and again, including by me and countless others in Hollywood who praised him and ignored you," Sorvino wrote. "As a mother and a woman, this breaks my heart for you."
Farrow has already accepted the apology on Twitter. She wrote, "This letter is beautiful and I will carry your words with me."
@MiraSorvino, I am overwhelmed and my gratitude to you cannot be expressed sufficiently in words. This letter is beautiful and I will carry your words with me. Your courage has been boundless and your activism an example for us all. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. https://t.co/8U73mb2twD
— Dylan Farrow (@realdylanfarrow) January 11, 2018
As Time's Up lends awareness to sexual misconduct in Hollywood, men are increasingly being held accountable for previous allegations. And the women who have worked with these men are also examining their decisions to do so. It has become clear that, for decades, allegations of sexual assault weren't given much weight, so it's worth investigating the cases that were dismissed in the past. Since the #metoo movement happened, and Farrow published her piece in the LA Times, three celebrities have made public apologies for working with Allen.
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