General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Woody Allen Speaks Out [View all]Jeff In Milwaukee
(13,992 posts)It's never been proven that Sinatra is the father (but hell, look at the kid's eyes and then look at a picture of Sinatra), so I don't think that was the case.
Here's what I think:
Mia had just been massively and publicly humiliated by the break-up. I mean, getting dumped for a younger woman is bad enough, but when the younger woman is your adopted child....I mean, shit. I absolutely don't blame her for hating Woody's guts, then and now. Mia was losing not only her relationship with Woody, but also her relationship with Soon-Yi, and all this was being served up in the tabloid press in the most mortifying manner imaginable.
I think Mia was pissed and she was bitter and I think she coached Dylan into making a false statement, one that over the years, the kid has grown to believe was really true.
Sound far-fetched? The American Bar Association did some research a few years back, and they found that allegations of parental child abuse occur in 4% of divorces. But in cases where both sides are contesting custody, the figure triples to 12%. And we don't know how many threats of such an allegation were made outside the courtroom in order to get one parent or the other to back off demands for custody.
The reason should be obvious: an allegation of child molestation (particularly for a high-profile individual) is the family court version of nuclear warfare. When one party of the other is feeling sufficiently desperate -- or just plain furious -- they'll drop the bomb as a last resort.
That's what I think happened here. Mia was furious with Woody and determined that he would never be able to come near her family again. An accusation of child molestation would serve both purposes.
A child's report of abuse should always (and I mean always) be taken seriously. It should be fully investigated, even if it causes some embarrassment to the individual who is accused. That's what happened here. Given that the medical team did not find any evidence of molestation, and the six month police investigation amounted to nothing, and that there has never been any allegation, before or since, of Woody's molesting a child, I just find it had to take one (possibly tainted) allegation as proof of anything.