Allen v. Farrow

The Woody Allen archives is boxes and boxes of material

he gives to Princeton University.

It has old scripts, ideas.

It's just that the thing that kept showing up

was this focus on very young women.

I don't know when it started with Soon-Yi.

She had never dated a boy. She never kissed a boy.

She was very innocent.

You have one job, and that is to stand by your child

and keep her safe.

He said, "What...

What about some... father-daughter time?

Reporter 1: This is a story of two of the biggest stars in the world.

Reporter 2: The father is Woody Allen, writer, director, actor.

The mother is Mia Farrow, his frequent costar

and the mother of his three children, two of them adopted.

Reporter 3: Woody and Mia have been together for 12 years,

but never married and kept separate residences.

Reporter 4: She reportedly has a video of their adopted daughter Dylan

explaining how Allen molested her.

Reporter 5: Allen denies child abuse, but freely admits

he's in love with another of Farrow's daughters,

21-year-old Soon-Yi.

Reporter 6: Allen said the newest allegations are

the bizarre concoctions of a woman scorned.

Woman: Miss Farrow's only concern

has been exclusively the protection of her children.

Narrator: The private lives

of Woody Allen and the Farrow family

would become very public in August of 1992.

A series of investigations and lawsuits followed,

which generated tens of thousands

of court and police documents,

most of which were never made public

or obtained by the press.

One cache of more than 60 boxes of documentation

was hidden away in an attorney's storage room,

untouched since the '90s.

Over the course of our three-year investigation,

we gained access to those boxes,

along with police files of the case,

additional evidence,

affidavits, sworn testimony,

and private audio and video recordings.

Mia Farrow: After the incident in the attic,

the next day, I took Dylan to the doctor.

She didn't really know the pediatrician up here

in Connecticut that well,

and she sure didn't want to talk about it.

He didn't want to pressure her, and he said, you know,

"No problem. Why don't you come back tomorrow, you know?"

When we got in the car, I said, you know,

"Did-did you wanna tell him what you told me?

Do you feel..."

And she said, "I don't like to talk about my privates."

And I'm like, "I get that.

"I get that.

"But, it would be helpful

"if you could tell him because then,

we would have somebody who could make sure you're okay."

So then, the next day, we went back,

and she did tell the doctor what happened.

And then, we went home.

And we were all outside,

and I got a call from the doctor.

And he said, "I just wanted to tell you

that I've told the police."

I remember when I took the phone call,

I made all the kids get out of the water.

So they were like making sand castles

and covering their feet with sand.

And I saw a little robin was hopping on the grass.

And I'm holding the phone,

thinking it all looked so normal.

But nothing will ever be normal ever again.

Narrator: Dylan's pediatrician had submitted a report

of suspected sexual abuse,

and a series of legal actions were initiated in two states.

In New York, the Farrows' legal residence,

the City Child Welfare Administration

opened an investigation.

While in Connecticut,

where the alleged crime had occurred,

the state police opened a criminal investigation

which was overseen by state prosecutor

Frank Maco.

Frank Maco: I received a call from my office

with a complaint,

alleged sexual abuse on one Woody Allen.

I met with the members of the Connecticut State Police.

I said, I want to make sure that we're not talking about

some type of a Hollywood relationship that's just gone bad.

Mia: Next thing you know,

like crime squad trucks rolling down our driveway.

They went to do, like, do whatever they do in the attic.

Collecting hair and stuff like that.

What I remember, um,

is that

after the attic,

things really started changing very rapidly.

I said this thing, and it started this...

nightmare of lawyers

and the phone ringing, and everything changed.

Reporter: Woody's not about to change his ways.

He's where he is every Monday night--

Michael's Pub here in Manhattan.

Steve Powers is there right now. Steve?

It was as if Woody Allen was trying to play it cool

by playing his clarinet as he does every Monday night

over here at Michael's Pub.

He went up on the bandstand and joined the band

in some playing, with a full house.

But earlier, there was an indication

everything wasn't just fine,

when Woody left his apartment at 74th Street and 5th Avenue.

He had no comment.

Woody, could you give us a comment, Woody?

Woody, anything about the Bridgewater charges, Woody?

Frank: My office and the Connecticut State Police,

we wanted to do our

investigation quietly,

and as effectively as possible. Professionally as possible.

Next thing I know, at The Plaza Hotel,

Mr. Allen calls a news conference

and announces he's subject of a Connecticut State Police

investigation into abuse.

Thank you for coming.

Over the years, you all know that, that, uh, I've been

ahem, reluctant to speak with the press,

and have assiduously avoided publicity.

But because of all the rumors

and innuendos and...

cruel untruths

circulating over the past week,

I feel that I have to make a statement.

This is an unconscionable

and gruesomely damaging manipulation

of innocent children

for vindictive and self-serving purposes.

In the end, the one thing I have been guilty of

is falling in love with Ms. Farrow's adult daughter...

Priscilla Gilman: Woody gave a press conference

where he talked about being wildly in love with Soon-Yi.

And our jaws all dropped.

He said to Mia, "I don't love Soon-Yi."

I heard him say this! "This was just a silly little fling.

I don't love her. Not in love with her."

There's a calculated reason

why love enters the picture.

Reporter: Have you spoken to Mia?

Priscilla: He's trying to distract. "This is a woman scorned.

This is an unhinged woman."

That's Woody's narrative.

He's turned it all back.

Turned it upside down and around,

and focused on his relationship with Soon-Yi.

And the media ran with that story.

One day after Woody Allen acknowledged

a love affair with the 21-year-old adopted daughter

of his long-time companion and leading lady, Mia Farrow,

The usually very private filmmaker went public.

Allen says he feels no great moral dilemma

over his admitted relationship with Soon-Yi Previn Farrow.

Reporter 1: In a written statement, Allen says,

"Regarding my love for Soon-Yi,

it's real and happily all true."

Reporter 2: He added that Mia Farrow was so irate

when Allen fell in love with Farrow's

adopted college-age daughter Soon-Yi,

that Farrow concocted the abuse charges.

Reporter: In "Time" and "Newsweek,"

Allen struck the latest blow in this war waged

with sound bites and spicy quotes.

Over the past week, Allen's trial by tabloid

has captivated the national psyche.

Rosanna Scotto: I was a general assignment reporter back in the '90s

when we heard that

Mia Farrow's adopted daughter

might be having an affair with Woody Allen.

And the way he spun it was just perfect.

You know, don't forget Woody Allen,

at that time, had some really

high-powered people in his court.

Elkan Abramowitz, his attorney, big, big attorney,

and he had a very powerful PR machine behind him.

They were doing a great job painting Mia Farrow

as a scorned woman who would say anything.

But we had to follow the leads, and sometimes, it took us

to a place that Woody Allen was not happy.

Here at the Episcopal School on Manhattan's East Side,

sources tell us exclusively

that Woody Allen was so obsessed with Dylan,

who was then three years old,

that parents and teachers began talking about how Allen