Woody Allen releasing essays after sexual abuse allegations
Disgraced director Woody Allen has announced a forthcoming essay collection a year after a bombshell HBO documentary shed new light on sexual abuse allegations leveled against him.
On Wednesday, Skyhorse Publishing’s Arcade imprint confirmed it would soon release Allen’s first compilation of short comedic essays in 15 years. The scorned filmmaker’s latest book, “Zero Gravity,” hits shelves June 7.
Arcade’s announcement comes in the wake of Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering’s “Allen v. Farrow,” a four-part documentary series detailing Allen’s alleged predatory sexual behavior toward his daughter, Dylan Farrow. Throughout the Emmy-nominated project, 35-year-old Farrow repeatedly accuses her adopted father of sexually abusing her as a child — a claim Allen has consistently denied.
For years, observers have wondered what would seal the disgraced filmmaker’s fate. Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering’s four-part docuseries could be it.
In 2020, Skyhorse picked up Allen’s memoir “Apropos of Nothing” after mainstream publishing conglomerate Hachette Book Group dropped the title amid a wave of criticism. In recent years, Skyhorse has developed a reputation for publishing divisive authors — such as Allen, disbarred attorney Michael Cohen and author Blake Bailey, who was accused of rape — when no one else will.
“Zero Gravity” marks Allen’s fifth collection of humorous works, following 1971’s “Getting Even,” 1975’s “Without Feathers,” 1980’s “Side Effects” and 2007’s “Mere Anarchy.” At the bottom of Arcade’s press release for the book is a disclaimer stating that Allen’s writing is “not to be taken seriously, but, as with any true humor, not all the laughs are weightless.”
How Skyhorse Publishing became a house of last resort for Dershowtiz, Keillor, anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers — and a cancellation target itself.
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