(JTA) — Woody Allen is suing Amazon for killing a $68 million movie deal, claiming it was based on what he called “a 25-year-old, baseless allegation.”
The media company backed out of the four-movie deal and refused to release the Jewish Oscar-winning director’s film “A Rainy Day in New York.”
“Amazon has tried to excuse its action by referencing a 25-year-old, baseless allegation against Mr. Allen,” the lawsuit filed Thursday says, “but that allegation was already well known to Amazon (and the public) before Amazon entered into four separate deals with Mr. Allen — and, in any event it does not provide a basis for Amazon to terminate the contract.”
In 1992, Allen’s daughter Dylan Farrow accused him of sexual abuse, claims that he has denied. The allegations resurfaced last year as the #MeToo movement gained steam. In December, model Babi Christina Engelhardt said that Allen had a sexual relationship with her when she was 16.
Allen’s lawsuit claims that Amazon said it canceled the movie deal in June because of “supervening events, including renewed allegations against Mr. Allen, his own controversial comments, and the increasing refusal of top talent to work with or be associated with him in any way, all of which have frustrated the purpose of the Agreement,” according to Variety.
