Blake Lively is currently making the rounds at the Cannes Film Festival with Woody Allen to promote their new film, "Café Society." The actress had some complimentary things to say about the director, who has been publicly accused of sexual assault by his daughter, Dylan Farrow.
Lively spoke with the Los Angeles Times about Allen -- whose films often include plotlines about older men having love affairs with young women -- telling the publication Allen is "empowering to women."
“It's amazing what Woody has written for women,” she said, adding that the accusations against Allen did not influence her decision to work with him. “It's very dangerous to factor in things you don't know anything about. I could [only] know my experience. And my experience with Woody is he's empowering to women."
The actress also voiced her disapproval of a rape joke aimed at Allen made by French comedian and master of ceremonies at the Cannes Film Festival Laurent Lafitte. She told Variety:
“I think any jokes about rape, homophobia or Hitler is not a joke,” she told Variety. “I think that was a hard thing [to] swallow in 30 seconds. Film festivals are such beautiful, respectful festivals of film and artists and to have that, it felt like it wouldn’t have happened if it was in the 1940s. I can’t imagine Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby going out and doing that. It was more disappointing for the artists in the room that someone was going up there making jokes about something that wasn’t funny.”
She also said she had not read recent criticism about Allen, such as a piece in The Hollywood Reporter written by Allen's son, and Dylan's brother, Ronan Farrow, addressing the claims of abuse.
“I came home and went to bed at whatever time we finished,” she said. “I haven’t been in it, so I don’t want to speak on something I haven’t read. I think that’s dangerous.”
Ok then.
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