Spike Lee Apologizes for Woody Allen Comments
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UPDATED: Spike Lee has issued an apology for his comments defending Woody Allen against cancel culture in Hollywood.
“I deeply apologize. My words were wrong. I do not and will not tolerate sexual harassment, assault or violence. Such treatment causes real damage that can’t be minimized,” he posted on Twitter on Saturday.
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I Deeply Apologize. My Words Were WRONG. I Do Not And Will Not Tolerate Sexual Harassment, Assault Or Violence. Such Treatment Causes Real Damage That Can't Be Minimized.-Truly, Spike Lee.
— Spike Lee (@SpikeLeeJoint) June 13, 2020
In an interview on New York City radio station WOR’s talk show “In the Morning,” Lee shared his thoughts on how Allen has been treated with hosts Len Berman and Michael Riedel
“I’d just like to say Woody Allen is a great, great filmmaker and this cancel thing is not just Woody. And I think when we look back on it we are going to see that — short of killing somebody — I don’t know you that you can just erase somebody like they never existed,” Lee said.
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Lee added, “Woody is a friend of mine, a fellow Knick fan, so I know he’s going through it right now.”
Despite being asked more about Allen, the conversation turned to the New York Knicks, the NBA team of which Lee has been a longtime fan.
Allen has fallen out of grace with many people in Hollywood after accusations resurfaced that he molested his adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow when she was 7 years old. He has repeatedly denied the allegations and has not been charged with any crime after two police investigations in the ’90s.
Earlier this year, Allen’s memoir was released by Arcade Publishing after being rejected and protested by several other publishers. Amazon also canceled a movie deal with Allen, resulting in them settling a $68 million lawsuit. The studio dropped his film “A Rainy Day in New York” from distribution, and some stars, including Timothée Chalamet, donated the money they made from the film to charity.
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