Ronan Farrow Drops His Publisher For Acquiring Woody Allen's Memoir

Journalist Ronan Farrow is dropping his publisher, the Hachette Book Group, after the company decided to publish the memoir written by his father, Woody Allen, who has long been accused of molesting his adoptive daughter.

Farrow explained his decision on Twitter on Tuesday night and accused the company of keeping the deal a secret from him while they worked with him on publishing his own book, “Catch and Kill.”

“I was disappointed to learn through press reports that Hachette, my publisher, acquired Woody Allen’s memoir after other major publishers refused to do so and concealed the decision from me and its own employees while we were working on Catch and Kill,” Farrow said in a statement.

He said that the company’s decision to work with Allen shows “a lack of ethics and compassion for victims of sexual abuse, regardless of any personal connection or breach of trust here.”

Published by Hachette in October, Farrow’s book takes a deep look into the pervasiveness of sexual assault, harassment and abuse within the entertainment industry at the hands of powerful producers and executives. Farrow noted in his statement that his book even discussed how Allen avoided “accountability for sexual abuse.”

Farrow is the son of Allen and actor Mia Farrow, who were partners throughout the 1980s and into the early ’90s but never married. In 1985, Mia Farrow adopted Dylan Farrow one of many children she adopted over the years and in late 1991 Allen legally became her adoptive father. 

In 1992, allegations surfaced that Allen, an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, had sexually molested Dylan Farrow. Police investigated the claims, but Allen was never charged.

Dylan, Ronan and Mia Farrow have repeatedly lodged the molestation charge against Allen over the years. Allen has continued to deny the accusations.

Ronan Farrow said that Hachette did not reach out to Dylan Farrow to get her response to claims Allen makes in his memoir.

“Hachette did not fact check the Woody Allen book,” Farrow said. “My sister Dylan has never been contacted to respond to any denial or mischaracterization of the abuse she suffered at the hands of Woody Allen a credible allegation, maintained for almost three decades, backed up by contemporaneous accounts and evidence.”

Dylan Farrow also lashed out at the publishing company in her own statement on Monday, calling their deal with Allen “deeply upsetting” and “an utter betrayal of my brother.”

She criticized the company for not contacting her to fact-check Allen’s book, even as her own allegations have “undergone endless scrutiny.”

“This provides yet another example of the profound privilege that power, money and notoriety affords,” she said.

In his public statement, Farrow said that he could not “in good conscience” work with a publisher that would behave in that way.

The New York Times obtained an email exchange between Farrow and Hachette’s chief executive Michael Pietsch, in which the journalist reportedly urged him, “Imagine if this were your sister.”

In his memoir, “Apropos of Nothing,” Allen writes about his life, family and his relationships. It is scheduled to be released on April 7.