After his first attempt to publish the memoir Apropos of Nothing got nixed last month at Hachette following a blistering backlash led by adopted children Dylan and Ronan Farrow, Arcade Publishing has released Woody Allen‘s book.
Arcade released it without much fanfare, though did issue a statement: “The book is a candid and comprehensive personal account by Woody Allen of his life, ranging from his childhood in Brooklyn through his acclaimed career in film, theater, television, print and standup comedy, as well as exploring his relationships with family and friends.”
Jeannette Seaver, the editor of Arcade Publishing, defended the release of Allen’s memoir in a statement that reads: “In this strange time, when truth is too often dismissed as ‘fake news,’ we as publishers prefer to give voice to a respected artist, rather than bow to those determined to silence him.”
THE MEMOIR
Allen’s memoir includes a postscript in which he claimed that Hachette agreed to publish Apropos of Nothing even though it was aware Allen is a “toxic pariah and menace to society.” Allen writes, “When actual flak did arrive they thoughtfully reassessed their position and dumped the book like it was a hunk of Xenon 135.”
When Hachette announced its plans to release it, staff walked out and Ronan, who had published his book Catch and Kill to great acclaim through Hachette severed his relationship with the publisher. Dylan, who accused Allen of molesting her when she was a child, also condemned the publisher.
In Apropos, the 84-year-old writes, “I never laid a finger on Dylan, never did anything to her that could be even misconstrued as abusing her; it was a total fabrication from start to finish.”
He did say that he placed his head in Dylan’s lap during a 1992 visit to his ex and Dylan’s mother Mia Farrow‘s home in 1992, but says, “I certainly didn’t do anything improper to her. I was in a room full of people watching TV mid-afternoon.”
Speaking of his relationship with current wife Soon-Yi Previn, he writes: “At the very early stages of our new relationship, when lust reigns supreme … we couldn’t keep our hands off each other.”
Previn is the adopted daughter of his ex, Farrow, and 35 years his junior.