Cancel culture setback: 'Toxic pariah' and 'menace to society' Woody Allen finds a publisher for memoir

Filmmaker Woody Allen has found another publisher for his controversial memoir, bypassing attempts to cancel him, that at one point involved employees of his previous publisher walking out in protest.

New York-based Arcade Publishing announced on Monday they are the new home for Allen’s memoir, titled ‘Apropos of Nothing.’ Arcade calls the book a “candid and comprehensive personal account” of Allen’s life. 

Editor Jeannette Seaver said in a statement that her company refuses to “bow to those determined to silence” Allen.

The book reportedly includes a postscript where Allen directly addresses Hacthette’s decision to drop it, as well as the “Ahab-like quest” by ex-partner Mia Farrow to ruin his reputation with accusations that he molested their adopted daughter, Dylan.

Hatchette agreed to publish the memoir while being fully aware of the repeated accusation from Mia and Dylan Farrow, Allen wrote. “When actual flak did arrive they thoughtfully reassessed their position and dumped the book like it was a hunk of Xenon 135,” he writes, also referring to himself as a “toxic pariah and menace to society.”

Allen’s son Ronan Farrow, another bestselling Hatchette author, also pressured the publisher into dumping his father’s memoir. Between that and the walk-out of a dozen employees earlier this month, Hatchette declared that releasing the book was “not feasible.”

The filmmaker once again denies any wrongdoing in the postscript, writing, “I never laid a finger on Dylan, never did anything to her that could be even misconstrued as abusing her; it was a total fabrication from start to finish.”

Though the accusation has been repeated time and time again, and led to professional consequences in the post #MeToo era for Allen, he has continuously denied them and was investigated multiple times following the original 1992 accusation, but charges were never filed. 

According to The Associated Press, Allen’s memoir should be available on Monday, though Amazon has the release date listed as April 7.

Allen has also had trouble finding distribution for his films in recent years too. He settled a lawsuit in November of 2019 after Amazon Studios canceled his film ‘A Rainy Day in New York.’ Despite releasing several projects from the filmmaker in the past, Allen sued and claimed the company was now refusing to show his work out of fear of backlash from the public. ‘A Rainy Day in New York’ has since only been shown internationally, but remains unreleased in the US.

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