Alec Baldwin Defends Longtime Director Woody Allen Against Growing Hollywood Backlash
Outspoken actor Alec Baldwin is defending longtime actor-director Woody Allen who is currently under fire for sexual abuse allegations. Several performers have also cut ties with the director.
Alec Baldwin and Woody Allen's History
Baldwin and Allen have worked together on several high-profile films. The 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live star starred in the 1990 film Alice which starred Allen's ex-lover, Mia Farrow, in the title role. Baldwin portrayed Alice's first lover, Ed. While the film was a disappointment at the box office, Allen got Baldwin to star in his next films.
22 years later, Allen casted Baldwin to act in 2012's To Rome with Love. Baldwin portrayed John, who served as a mentor to Jesse Eisenberg's character, Jack. One year later, he reunited with Allen to film the 2013 comedy-drama Blue Jasmine. The men were joined by Cate Blanchett who won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as the long-suffering Jasmine Francis.
Baldwin Breaks Silence
Baldwin took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to address the ongoing Woody Allen scandal.
Woody Allen was investigated forensically by two states (NY and CT) and no charges were filed. The renunciation of him and his work, no doubt, has some purpose. But it’s unfair and sad to me. I worked w WA 3 times and it was one of the privileges of my career.
— ABFoundation (@ABFalecbaldwin) January 16, 2018
Baldwin's tweet caused a commotion as several fans agreed with him.
"I think you are right. Both necessary and sad. To deny the genius does a disservice to the art form," one fan tweeted.
However, several commentators stated that he shot himself in the foot.
"Everyone is entitled to their opinions. But this is a very unfortunate tweet and opinion. Just because you had a good experience with him, doesn't mean he isn't a predator. Believe the women," tweeted a commentator.
Actors Cut Ties
Dylan Farrow, Allen's estranged stepdaughter, might be the prime reason why Alec Baldwin had to step into the ring to defend the Annie Hall director.
Farrow called out the entertainment industry in a Los Angeles Times opinion piece for continuing to embrace Allen over cutting ties with embattled movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. Farrow had claimed for years that Allen molested her when she was a kid.
Despite Allen's numerous claims that he did not rape her, several actors have started to take her advice. On Jan. 16, Call Me By Your Name and Lady Bird actor Timothee Chalamet posted on Instagram that he would be donating all of his earnings that he received on the upcoming Allen film, A Rainy Day in New York. While Chalamet could not comment on Allen as a director due to film commitments, his future actions earned him numerous love from his fans.
Actresses Greta Gerwig and Mina Sorvino also swore off working with Allen, after both of them publically apologized to Farrow.
