Woody Allen Memoir abandoned by Hachette after staff walkout

CULTURE

12:00 p.m. PST 3/6/2020

through

Sharareh Drury

"At HBG, we take our relationships with authors very seriously and don't cancel books lightly," the publishing company said in a statement.

Hachette Book Group will no longer publish the memoirs of Woody Allen, About nothing.

"Hachette Book Group has decided not to publish the memoirs of Woody Allen About nothing, originally scheduled for sale in April 2020, and will return all rights to the author, "the publisher said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

"The decision to cancel Mr. Allen's book was difficult. At HBG, we take our relationships with the authors very seriously and don't cancel books lightly. We have published and will continue to publish many difficult books. As publishers, we make sure in our work every day, different voices and different points of view can be heard. As a company, we are committed to providing an environment of stimulating, encouraging and open work to all our staff. Over the past few days, HBG management has had long conversations with our staff and others. After listening, we came to the conclusion that the publication did not would not be possible for HBG. "

A source tells THR that after the announcement, the staff of HBG was surprised but also relieved, applauding and applauding the news.

Thursday's walkout included employees from Little, Brown and Company Footprints, who released Ronan Farrow Catch and kill, and Grand Central Publishing, which announced Monday that it will publish Allen's memoirs on April 7. After the announcement, Farrow said he would end his relationship with Hachette. Farrow, Allen's son, has repeatedly stated that he believes allegations made by his sister Dylan Farrow that the filmmaker had sexually assaulted her when she was a child.

Dylan tweeted about HBG's decision to no longer publish Allen's memoirs, writing "I am in awe and I am very grateful". Ronan too shared on social networks that he was "grateful to all the Hachette employees who spoke and to the company for listening".

"To each individual who, at great professional risk to himself, showed solidarity with my brother, myself and all the victims of sexual abuse yesterday: words never describe the debt of gratitude that I owe you, "she added. "For someone who has felt alone in my story for so long, yesterday was a deep reminder of the difference that can be made when people stand up and unite for what is Good thanks alot."

Ronan had tweeted On Tuesday, he was "disappointed to learn from the press" Hachette's decision to publish the book "after other major publishers refused to do so". He added that HBG "concealed the decision and that of its own employees while we Catch and kill – a book on how powerful men, including Woody Allen, avoid responsibility for sexual abuse. "Later in the statement, he said he told the publisher that he could no longer" conscientiously "work with the company.

Farrow criticized the publishing house for not checking the book. "My sister Dylan was never contacted to respond to any denial or misrepresentation of the abuse she suffered at the hands of Woody Allen – a credible allegation, sustained for nearly three decades, supported by stories and contemporary evidence, "he wrote. "It is extremely unprofessional in several obvious directions for Hachette to behave this way. But it also shows a lack of ethics and compassion for victims of sexual abuse, regardless of any personal connection or abuse. of trust here. "

Dylan Farrow also Posted a statement Tuesday on Twitter, writing that Hachette's decision is "deeply moving for me personally and a total betrayal of my brother". She also pointed to a gap between the lack of fact-checking of Allen's memoirs and the "endless review" and "thorough fact-checking" that hers underwent before being published. "Hachette's complicity in this regard should be called for what it is and they should answer for it," she added.

In Catch and kill, Farrow details his initial reluctance to fully engage with or speak publicly regarding his sister's longstanding allegations about their father. Journalist broke his silence in a column in 2016 THR, writing, "I believe my sister. This has always been true as a brother who trusted her and, even at 5 years old, was disturbed by the strange behavior of our father around her."