Scarlett Johansson defends Woody Allen: 'I would work with him any time'

Scarlett Johansson has defended the reputation of director Woody Allen saying she’d be happy to work with him again in the future.

"I love Woody," she told The Hollywood Reporter in a new interview. "I believe him, and I would work with him anytime."

The director’s past has come under scrutiny in the Me Too era with Dylan Farrow's sexual abuse allegations against her father resurfacing. The director has repeatedly denied the claims that were first made in 1992, but some Hollywood stars - including Timothée Chalamet and Greta Gerwig - have distanced themselves from the filmmaker, expressing regrets at having worked with him in the past.

His production deal with Amazon soured in the wake of the allegations and was cancelled in 2018. He’s since struggled to find distributors for his films in North America.

Johansson - who starred in Allen’s 2008 drama Vicky Cristina Barcelona - stands by Allen’s denials, and says she’s challenged the filmmaker directly about the accusations.

"I see Woody whenever I can, and I have had a lot of conversations with him about it. I have been very direct with him, and he's very direct with me. He maintains his innocence, and I believe him."

The remarks from the Avengers: Endgame star chime with recent comments from British actress Samantha Morton who said she didn’t regret working with the Manhattan director.

Read more: Poor reviews for Woody Allen’s new film

“I don't have any regrets,” Morton, who starred in Allen’s movie Sweet and Lowdown in 1999, told Vanity Fair. “I’m terribly sorry for the situation that is publicly known.

“It’s heartbreaking. I was sexually abused. Some of the people that hurt me can’t be brought to justice for complications of time. I have full sympathy for anybody who says that happens to them, and it needs to be taken incredibly seriously.”

“But if I look back at the situation that I was in, where I was working for a director who was kind, funny and wonderful to work with... it changed my life. And I’m forever grateful for that.”

“I can’t now go back [and change anything]... It’s such a funny world we live in now. I’m still learning to navigate it all.”

Allen is currently suing Amazon for $68 million (£56 million) for going back on a multi-movie deal, which has left his most recent film, A Rainy Day In New York, unreleased, despite having been finished for over a year.

In a recent ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Denise Cote wrote that Amazon's partial motion to dismiss the case had been granted.

Now, according to Deadline, Allen will have to prove that it wrongfully went back on their contract with each film individually.