Ronan Farrow‘s past certainly played a hand in his decision to take on sexual misconduct in Hollywood.
For a candid chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Farrow discussed how he first came to understand “abuse of power” after witnessing the sexual assault allegations brought against his father, famed director Woody Allen. As you likely know, Allen was accused of molesting his daughter Dylan Farrow in 1992.
Related: James Franco Continues To Deny Sexual Misconduct Allegations
While the 82-year-old has vehemently denied the accusations, Dylan has stood by by her claims. Understandably, the controversy divided the Farrow-Allen family, leaving a lasting impact. Ronan shared:
“You see early in life with that kind of a family background the way in which the most powerful men in America wield power for good and for ill. And probably, yes, the family background made me someone who understood the abuse of power from an early age.”
Still, the Farrows have dismissed the narrative of “the son of Hollywood taking down the system.” Even Ronan’s mother, Mia Farrow, defended that her son went after Harvey Weinstein as it was a MAJOR story. She added:
“It’s not a subject we discussed as a family… I never got the sense the Weinstein story was personal for him. He was a reporter on a huge assignment.”
Nonetheless, Ronan essentially has no relationship with Woody these days. When asked about their estrangement, the up-and-coming journalist replied:
“I don’t actually know the answer to that. We have had contact over the years, but he is not someone that I keep up with regularly.”
Of course, Ronan is well aware of the gossip that Frank Sinatra may be his real father. However, the 30-year-old has very little interest in discussing his DNA. In regards to rumors involving his paternity, Ronan relayed:
“Woody Allen, legally, ethically, personally was absolutely a father in our family. And of course any family affected by sexual abuse will tell you that’s a part of what makes the issue so devastating.”
We bet. On whether he believes Hollywood will ever turn its back on Woody, Ronan admitted:
“It’s not for me to say what Hollywood will or won’t do. I will say that in every industry there are still powerful men facing credible allegations of wrongdoing who continue to evade accountability. As empowering a moment as this moment is, there’s still a long way to go.”
Fair enough.
And to those who’ve suggested that Farrow’s family drama made it so he couldn’t be objective in his reporting, he revealed that several journalists (including Tom Brokaw) “laughed at the idea that there was a conflict of interest.” In fact, the further he got in to investigating Weinstein’s sexual misconduct, the more his celebuspawn status protected him.
Related: Floyd Mayweather Jr. Is Oblivious To The #MeToo Movement!
According to the report, Billie Lourd‘s dad and CAA partner Bryan Lourd tried to broker a sit down between Farrow and Weinstein. In addition to being advised to drop the story, Ronan also received threatening phone calls and had mysterious men stalking him. The harassment became so bad that he was forced to move out of his apartment near Columbus Circle.
Mia even became concerned about her son’s safety, as she expressed:
“He shared enough of what he was uncovering for me to be increasingly concerned for his safety. But he knew and I knew that it was a moral issue. He had to continue, even when that meant putting a lot on the line.”
Thankfully, the New York native was not scared off by intimidation tactics as he continued on with his investigation, which later became his October expos├â┬⌐ for The New Yorker. And while Ronan is humbled by the praise he’s received for exposing the predatory Hollywood heavyweight, he wants readers to know that the real heroes are the women who chose to speak out.
At the end of the day, Farrow doesn’t even consider himself an advocate on the topic of sexual abuse. Ronan concluded:
“No. I’m a reporter, not an activist. I’m not pouring out my blood on battleships. My mandate going into the Weinstein story was never to believe all survivors; it was to listen to all survivors. I think it’s completely possible to be both a skeptical, judicious reporter and also create a space for survivors to be heard. If that reporting inspires people to activism, then it’s a job done well.”
Snap! Snap!
[Image via WENN.]
Related Posts
