Just hours after Woody Allen broke his silence regarding child molestation accusations made by daughter Dylan Farrow, she's back with a rebuttal of her own.
The acclaimed film director penned an open letter to the New York Times insisting that he did not sexually assault the then-seven-year-old, as she says.
He also claimed that her mother, Mia Farrow, "coached her" to say Dylan Farrow was molested by him. But in response, Dylan stands by her story.
"Once again, Woody Allen is attacking me and my family in an effort to discredit and silence me, but nothing he says or writes can change the truth," Dylan says.
"For 20 years, I have never wavered in describing what he did to me. I will carry the memories of surviving these experiences for the rest of my life."
Allen's op-ed, she says "is the latest rehash of the same legalese, distortions, and lies he has leveled at me for the past 20 years," Farrow went on.
"He insists my mother brought criminal charges - in fact, it was a pediatrician who reported the incident to the police based on my firsthand account."
"He suggests that no one complained of his misconduct prior to his assault on me."
"However, court documents show that he was in treatment for what his own therapist described as 'inappropriate' behavior with me from as early as 1991."
"He offers a carefully worded claim that he passed a lie detector test."
"In fact, he refused to take the test administered by the state police (he hired someone to administer his own test, which authorities refused to accept as evidence)."
"With all the attempts to misrepresent the facts, it is important to be reminded of the truth contained in court documents from the only final ruling in this case."
In a lengthy list of her own, Farrow offered a step-by-step response to what happened in 1992, when she says a court denied Allen all access to her and:
- "Debunked the 'experts' my father claims exonerated him, calling them 'colored by their loyalty to Mr. Allen', and criticizing the author of their report."
- "Included testimony from babysitters who witnessed inappropriate sexual behavior by my father toward me."
- "Found that there is no credible evidence to support Mr. Allen's contention that Ms. Farrow coached Dylan or that Ms. Farrow acted upon a desire for revenge."
- "Concluded that the evidence proves that Mr. Allen's behavior toward Dylan was grossly inappropriate and that measures must be taken to protect her."
- Finally, prosecutors "found 'probable cause' to prosecute, but made the decision not to in an effort to protect 'the child victim,' given my fragile state."
Farrow is not letting Allen's rebuttal affect her, saying, "Woody Allen has an arsenal of lawyers and publicists but the one thing he does not have on his side is the truth."
"From the bottom of my heart, I will be forever grateful for the outpouring of support I have received from survivors and countless others," she writes.
"If speaking out about my experience can help others stand up to their tormentors, it will be worth the pain and suffering my father continues to inflict on me."
"I hope this is the end of his vicious attacks and of the media campaign by his lawyers and publicists, as he's promised. I won't let the truth be buried and I won't be silenced."
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