Woody Allen’s publisher cancels his book after staff walk out

BREAKING NEWS: Woody Allen’s publisher cancels his book after staff walk out amid criticism for publishing the memoir despite allegations he sexually abused his daughter Dylan Farrow

  • Hachette Book Group announced Friday it would not publish the memoir 
  • It followed days of criticism focused on allegations that Allen sexually abused his daughter Dylan Farrow
  • On Thursday staff at the publishing company walked out in protest

Woody Allen’s publisher has decided to cancel the planned release of his memoir ‘Apropos of Nothing’ after staff walked out in protest on Thursday. 

The announcement Friday by Hachette Book Group followed days of criticism focused on allegations that Allen sexually abused his daughter Dylan Farrow.  

Allen’s son Ronan Farrow’s book was also published by a Hachette imprint. ‘Catch and Kill’ detailed his role in the #MeToo movement and taking down sexual predators including Harvey Weinstein. 

On Thursday, dozens of Hachette employees staged a walkout.

‘The decision to cancel Mr. Allen´s book was a difficult one. At HBG we take our relationships with authors very seriously, and do not cancel books lightly,’ the publisher announced.

‘We have published and will continue to publish many challenging books. As publishers, we make sure every day in our work that different voices and conflicting points of views can be heard.’

Allen´s book was scheduled to come out next month.

 Woody Allen’s memoir ‘Apropos of Nothing’ will no longer be published by Hachette

This combination photo shows a book cover image for 'Apropos of Nothing,' an autobiography by Woody Allen, to be released on April 7 which has now been dropped by Hachette

This combination photo shows a book cover image for ‘Apropos of Nothing,’ an autobiography by Woody Allen, to be released on April 7 which has now been dropped by Hachette

Allen’s agreement with Hachette meant that he briefly shared a publisher with one of his biggest detractors, his son Ronan Farrow, whose ‘Catch and Kill’ was released last year by the Hachette division Little, Brown and Company.

‘Hachette’s publishing of Woody Allen´s memoir is deeply upsetting to me personally and an utter betrayal of my brother whose brave reporting, capitalized on by Hachette, gave voice to numerous survivors of sexual assault by powerful men,’ Dylan Farrow said in a statement Monday hours after details of the book were released by The Associated Press.

Ronan Farrow followed up a day later, calling Hachette´s decision ‘wildly unprofessional.’ 

Both he and his sister complained that the publisher had not reached out to fact check their father´s book.