Cate Blanchett addresses Woody Allen allegations
Cate Blanchett says that she wasn't aware of the child sexual assault allegations against Woody Allen when she worked with him on Blue Jasmine in 2013.
Talking on CNN’s Amanpour, the actress - who won an Oscar for her performance in Allen's film - was asked how she reconciled being a #MeToo proponent while staying silent about working with the controversial director.
“I don’t think I’ve stayed silent at all,” Blanchett said. “At the time that I worked with Woody Allen, I knew nothing of the allegations. At the time, I said it’s a very painful and complicated situation for the family, which I hope they have the ability to resolve.”
Cate Blanchett on the Woody Allen case: "If these allegations need to be re examined, that in my understanding they've been through court, then I'm wholeheartedly in the support of that. Social media's fantastic about raising awareness about issues but it's not the judge in jury" pic.twitter.com/18tn7UnQg0
- dani (@TowerwhiteDani) March 21, 2018
Her comments come amid a Hollywood movement against sexual harassment, exploitation and assault, which began with the Harvey Weinstein scandal in October 2017. Allen's adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, published an open letter in December 2017, reiterating claims that Allen sexual assaulted her when she was seven-years-old - a claim he has consistently denied. Allen was also never found guilty of child sex abuse.
Blanchett pledged her support towards the justice system, and said that social media shouldn't be seen as the "judge and jury".
"If these allegations need to be reexamined-in my understanding they’ve been through court-then I’m a big believer in the justice system and setting legal precedence," she said.
"If the case needs to be reopened then I am absolutely whole-heartedly in support of that, because I think that there’s one thing about social media is fantastic about raising awareness about issues, but it’s not the judge and jury," she continued. "And so I feel that these things need to go into court, so that if these abuses have happened that the person is prosecuted, so that someone who’s not in the shiny industry that I can can use that precedent to protect themselves.”
A number of stars have distanced themselves from Allen in the past few months. Rebecca Hall, Timothee Chalamet and, reportedly, Selena Gomez have all donated their salaries from Allen's forthcoming film, A Rainy Day in New York, to the Time's Up campaign. Greta Gerwig and Ellen Page have also said they regret working with the film-maker, while Michael Caine and Colin Firth said that they will never work him again.
