Woody Allen to Release New Memoir, Titled Apropos of Nothing, Amid #MeToo Controversy
Woody Allen—the famed and controversial director—has written an autobiography, Apropos of Nothing, which will be released on April 7.
In the book, Allen delves into his long career and headline-making relationships, according to the book’s publisher Grand Central Publishing,
“The book is a comprehensive account of his life, both personal and professional, and describes his work in films, theater, television, nightclubs, and print,” said Grand Central Publishing, according to a statement released on Tuesday. “Allen also writes of his relationships with family, friends, and the loves of his life.”
The Annie Hall director is as well-known for his tumultuous personal life as he is for his Oscar-winning films — and has become a divisive figure in Hollywood.
In late 2017, Allen faced resurfaced allegations of child molestation by his daughter Dylan Farrow, who claimed in a New York Times open letter in 2014 that Allen molested her as a child. Allen has long denied the allegations, which were first reported during his explosive 1992 split from Mia Farrow. The director was not charged, though a Connecticut prosecutor said there was probable cause for a criminal case. (Dylan is the adopted daughter of Allen and his former girlfriend, Mia Farrow, with whom he also shares adopted son Moses and biological son Ronan. The three children were in the center of a 1993 custody battle in which both sides testified about Allen’s affair with Farrow’s adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn, whom Allen went on to marry in 1997. Farrow was awarded custody of her and Allen’s three children.)
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In April 2019, Amazon Studios, which had a four-movie distribution deal with Allen, defended its decision to cut ties with him in response to his $68 million breach of contract lawsuit.
The company argued he “sabotag[ed]” efforts to promote his films by repeatedly weighing in on the #MeToo movement and the allegations of sexual abuse put forth by his daughter.
After Dylan Farrow’s allegations resurfaced, many stars announced they would no longer work with Allen—though others spoke out in support of him.
In May 2019, the New York Times reported Allen had been shopping his memoir around to major publishing houses. They refused to take on the project.
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The publishers were all deterred by the negative press working with Allen would generate, according to the paper. (In 2003, Allen turned down a $3 million offer for his memoir because he wanted more money, per the Times.)
“He’s not one to set the record straight, but presumably, the memoir is his side of things,” writer Daphne Merkin, a longtime acquaintance of Allen’s, told the Times. (Allen had told her about the project, but she hasn’t read it herself and isn’t sure of its contents.) “He’s the kind of person who soldiers on, and someone whose work is his nutrient. Whatever vicissitudes he’s been exposed to, I think he keeps his own counsel about how all this affects and doesn’t affect him.”