Woody Allen's controversial career as he threatens to retire after Venice scenes

10 September 2023 , 10:00

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A look at Woody Allen controversies as he considers retirement following backlash at the Venice Film Festival (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Filmmaker Woody Allen has threatened to retire after a Venice Film Festival incident this year. As one of the leading voices of American cinema considers calling his time in the film industry, we're taking a closer look at some of his most controversial moments during his over 60-year long career.

At the Venice Film Festival in Italy Woody publicly premiered his first film in six years but not everyone welcomed his return to the red carpet. Although the debut of his newest film dramatic thriller "Coup de Chance" received a long standing ovation by fellow attendees, protestors outside the venue led calls against the famous 87-year-old director for his controversial past.

As the Midnight in Paris filmmaker shares potential plans of retirement, we're looking at some of his most questionable moments in the industry including the concerning age differences in his films, allegations of molesting his adoptive daughter Dylan, marrying his adoptive daughter Soon-Yi Previn whom he raised, and subsequently being shunned by Hollywood.

Annie Hall controversial content

Woody Allen shot to Hollywood stardom after directing and starring in the hit film Annie Hall (Bettmann Archive)

Woody Allen's start in Hollywood came after the hit film Annie Hall in 1977. Despite the film's widespread success, bringing in over 44 million dollars in the box office, many find the content of the film very troubling and controversial.

Annie Hall follows Alvy Singer, a divorced Jewish comedian, as he reflects on his previously relationship with Annie Hall, an aspiring nightclub singer, which came to an abrupt end like his previous failed marriages. What many viewers were not comfortable with was the shocking age difference between the two main love interests highlighting the story of a 40-year-old man in love with a young high school student.

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Affair with his adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn

Woody admitted to his partner Mia that he was having a sexual affair with their adoptive daughter (Corbis via Getty Images)

Woody's controversial personal life came to light following his long-time partner Mia discovering nude photos of their 21-year-old adoptive daughter Soon-Yi Previn inside Woody's home. Following the discovery, Woody admitted that he was having an affair with their adoptive daughter and later went on to marry her.

Many fans were appalled by this discovery as Woody had raised Soon-Yi since she was a little girl. Woody and Mia first adopted Soon-Yi when she was just seven years old raising her as their own child. At the time Woody admitted to his sexual relationship with her, the pair shared a large age gap as he was 56 years old and she was 21 years old.

The pair married when Soon-Yi was 27 years old and have since adopted two of their own children Manzie and Bechet. Soon-Yi has remained silent throughout the scandal, but recently broke her silence last year to defend her relationship with Woody. During the rare interview Soon-Yi revealed that she was an adult when their romance began and she is happy in her marriage with the filmmaker.

Shunned by Hollywood

Woody has been largely cancelled by Hollywood with many stars claiming they regret working for the director (Corbis via Getty Images)

Since Woody's abuse allegations and controversial relationship with his adoptive daughter, he has been largely shunned by Hollywood. Many famous stars and producing companies have turned their backs on the director refusing to act or finance his films. Due to this backlash, Woody's career has slowed down as he has faced difficulties financing and distributing his work.

Many famous faces have come out since the news claiming that they regret working with Woody. Some notable celebrities that have publicly shared their disapproval for the director and his personal life include Greta Gerwig, Timothée Chalamet, Elliot Page, Kate Winslet, Colin Firth and Rebecca Hall.

In September of 2022, Woody announced his retirement from the film industry after completing his 50th feature length film. The A Rainy Day in New York director shared that he is thinking of turning to a new creative outlet and writing his own novel.

Caroline Gaspich