The Farrow family once lived together in an idyllic Connecticut country home. The diverse family included children adopted from extreme circumstances across the globe. The family home would seem like a haven for the children who were taken out of poverty and brought to live with Mia Farrow, a Hollywood actress, and humanitarian. While life was pleasant for a period for this family, a public scandal tore them apart and would smear the family name for decades. When Dylan O’Sullivan Farrow alleged that her adoptive father, Woody Allen sexually abused her, the family name was dragged through the tabloids, and things became very public from that point forward. With the Time’s Up and #MeToo Movement take over, this case has resurfaced and been looked at more critically, and the family has seemingly become even more estranged. 

Dylan O’Sullivan Farrow was adopted by actress Mia Farrow when she was two weeks old. At the time Farrow was in a long-term relationship with esteemed filmmaker and comedian Woody Allen. While Mia Farrow and Woody Allen never married or lived together, they were a dynamic and iconic couple for the time. Mia Farrow was featured in Allen’s films from 1982 until 1992. In 1991, Dylan O’Sullivan Farrow was co-adopted by Allen along with her adopted brother Moses Farrow. Little did this little family know what rough waters were ahead for them. 

Mia Farrow has mothered fourteen children, some biological and some adopted over the course of her life. She is heavily involved in humanitarian work to this day. While most of the children have stayed out of the spotlight regarding the sexual allegations, one of her children has not. Dylan O’Sullivan Farrow adopted brother and Mia Farrow’s son, Moses Farrow, is openly averse to the family narrative that was firmly glued together and cohesive for so many years. 

As an adult, Dylan O’Sullivan Farrow spoke up in several publications about her experience as a child. In these accounts, Moses Farrow called her out and said it none of it was true. Her story was featured in People Magazine, and she even had a televised interview about her experience. With the Time’s Up movement gaining momentum, Woody Allen’s name has been dragged through the dirt and wrapped up with other big Hollywood names who were accused of multiple accounts of sexual allegations. In response to these accusations and the intense timing of reopening old wounds, Moses Farrow spoke out against Dylan Farrow again in more detailed fashion. Ronan Farrow, the biological child of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, was the journalist who did the investigative reporting and exposed the Harvey Weinstein scandal. The Farrow family is deeply rooted in the Hollywood world, and it seems they are either in the spotlight for one reason or another. 

Moses’s account of life growing up is called “A Son Speaks Out.” This time, he dug deep into the family history (especially Mia’s background to explain her parenting behaviors an own dysfunctional upbringing), details the actual day of the alleged offense, and the relationships and dynamics at play, and tells a convincing 5,000-word account of his experience as a 14-year-old with a clear memory of the day. The manifesto is the most detailed account of an alternative side that the public has had access to. With situations like these that have been in the news for decades, it is easy to form opinions without having the full story. With this family, it seems like new information is always coming out, and that people who don’t know the full story are quick to take sides. However, even with more and more information available, the public will likely never know the whole story. 

Moses’s open dismissal of Dylan’s claim has tarnished the relationship that he has with his sister, mother, and brother Ronan Farrow. Dylan has even stated that her brother is dead to her. Moses doesn’t seem to have any qualms about burning bridges with part of his family. His account tells of a sad upbringing and childhood, and things were not nearly as happy and healthy as they appeared. Moses works as a family therapist and has said that it has taken him years to find his own voice and share his story, as he had experienced a very dysfunctional childhood. What’s interesting is that Moses Farrow’s account did hit the press and was put out by multiple news outlets but might not have had the impact that he hoped. However, the information is still out there and available for those who are looking to be more informed about the history and situation. It would be interesting to hear from other adopted children to listen to their memories and experiences growing up as Dylan and Moses recall such different accounts under Mia’s rule. Devastatingly, several of Mia’s adopted children have passed away. 

Woody Allen was found not guilty of the charges decades ago over a 14-month-long investigation. He did not look great in the public eye at the time, because he was seen to have been having an affair with Mia Farrow’s adopted daughter. But having an affair does not make one a child molester. No other allegations have been brought against Woody Allen in his extraordinarily long career in Hollywood. The team heading up the investigation found that Dylan’s retelling of what happened when she was a child was overly rehearsed. Moses tells of a childhood where the children were drilled and coached by their mother, and it wouldn’t have been farfetched to believe that Mia would do the same with Dylan. Especially considering that Mia could get even with Allen for taking away her daughter, by taking away his. With the Time’s Up movement so present in Hollywood, people are having to pick sides of working with individual producers. While some have stood by Allen’s side, others have publicly stated that they will not work with him again and apologized for doing so in the past.

Woody Allen is nearing the end of a long career, and there is no doubt that he will go down in cinematic history as a trailblazer and expert in his craft. But there will always be an unknown about him, and what was going on behind closed doors with this family. While Moses tried to salvage his father's name while it was under attacked, it seems that everyone clings tightly to their version of the truth. As opposing stories are told, it seems unlikely that a clear conclusion will ever be drawn.