Entertainment

Another Farrow/Allen Sibling Weighs In

by Rachel Simon

By this point, it seemed like everyone who could possibly have an opinion on the Dylan Farrow/Woody Allen controversy had already voiced it, but someone new was just added to the mix — Moses Farrow, brother of Dylan and estranged son of their mother, Mia. In an interview with People printed Wednesday, Moses Farrow said he sides with Woody Allen, saying that "of course Woody did not molest my sister."

"My mother drummed it into me to hate my father for tearing apart the family and sexually molesting my sister," Moses said. "And I hated him for her for years. I see now that this was a vengeful way to pay him back for falling in love with Soon-Yi."

Moses, who, unlike many of his siblings, is close to Allen and his wife Soon-Yi Previn, went on to say that Dylan "loved him [Allen] and looked forward to seeing him when he would visit. She never hid from him until our mother succeeded in creating the atmosphere of fear and hate towards him."

Moses details the day that his sister's letter described, saying that despite Dylan's claims that she was led into an attic by Allen, "there were six or seven of us in the house. We were all in public rooms and no one, not my father or sister, was off in any private spaces."

As for why Dylan would accuse Allen of abuse, Moses said that he's truly not sure. Perhaps Dylan really believes she was molested, he said, or maybe she's just trying to please their "intimidating" mother.

Mia, according to her son, "demanded obedience" and "often hit" her children, and said it's crucial that Dylan "assert her independence" from her. In the end, Moses urges his sister to reconnect with Allen and "not go through life with the false impression that she has been molested."

Moses is the latest member of his family to weigh in on Dylan's accusations, following his brother, Ronan, his mother, and, through a publicist and a lawyer, his father. Ronan and Mia both stood by Dylan, but Allen, as expected, vehemently denied his estranged daughter's claims.

While Moses's statements will certainly raise more than a few eyebrows, Dylan herself stands by every word she wrote. "This is such a betrayal to me and my whole family," she told People in response to Moses' comments. "My memories are the truth and they are mine and I will live with that for the rest of my life."

Dylan adds that she was not coerced by her mother to accuse Allen of abuse, and that when she, as a child, first told Mia of the alleged abuse, the two had a "heartbreaking" conversation where Mia asked her daughter if she was telling the truth.

"She said that Dad said he didn’t do anything," Dylan remembered. "And I said, 'He's lying.'"

Both Moses and Dylan's statements here are powerful. It's clear that Moses believes that his father never abused Dylan and that Dylan has been brainwashed by their mother. Yet Dylan's word, along with that of Ronan, Mia, and presumably several other members of the family who are estranged from Allen's, tells a very different story. Both siblings truly believe that they are doing what's right and standing up for the truth.

It's a painful addition to an already heartbreaking family saga, in which siblings are pit against each other and both parents, depending on who's talking, are painted as villains. No matter who "wins," it won't be a victory; in addition to those who already are, there will be bonds irreparably broken between members of a once-close family.

Add that to the millions of strangers weighing in on the matter, some of them not too kindly, and the situation becomes even worse. Dylan may have invited public comment when she published her letter in The New York Times, but the sheer amount of feedback she's received from strangers has got to be terrifying.

And Moses's comments will only add fuel to the fire. Still, as Dylan said to People, the criticism she's receiving for her statements is less important than the fact that she spoke up at all.

"I will not see my family dragged down like this," she said. "I can't stay silent when my family needs me and I will not abandon them like Soon-Yi and Moses. My brother is dead to me. My mother is so brave and so courageous and taught me what it means to be strong and brave and tell the truth even in the face of these monstrous lies."