Woody Allen: Roman Polanski 'Has Paid His Dues'

CANNES, France — Woody Allen has restated his support for fellow filmmaker Roman Polanski, who is in house arrest in connection with a 33-year-old sex scandal.

Allen said Polanski "was embarrassed by the whole thing," "has suffered" and "has paid his dues." He said Polanski is "an artist and is a nice person" who "did something wrong and he paid for it."

Polanski pleaded guilty in 1978 to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl. He was taken into custody in September and is currently under house arrest in Gstaad, Switzerland.

Earlier this week, new allegations surfaced when a British actress claimed Polanski had sexually abused her when she was 16.

It was not clear whether Allen was aware of the new allegations when he made the remarks in an interview Saturday with France Info radio from the Cannes Film Festival. Allen had previously signed a petition calling for Polanski's release.

Allen's relationship with actress Mia Farrow ended in scandal and New York tabloid headlines in 1992, when she found out he was having an affair with her adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn, then 22. Allen married Previn in 1997.

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On the Net:

http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en.html

Comments

[jxkelly]

01:01 PM on 05/27/2010

How exactly did he pay his dues? I think people forget the facts- he was convicted in the U.S. and was awaiting sentencing!!! It doesn't matter what he does for a living, whether he is rich or poor,famous of not, or if he is a "nice person- he was convicted of a crime and needs to serve his time - or at least come back here and let our criminal justice system determine if he had a fair trial.

[joeyfoto]

01:10 AM on 05/23/2010

Dear Woody: if I were your press agent I'd advise you to stick a reed-instrument in your mouth. Everyone in the biz agrees with you that this warrant is nothing more than a prosecutorial publicity stunt... but you are not the right person to help Roman and your comments will reflect on your past in ways that help no one... jt

[madgrrl]

10:08 PM on 05/22/2010

Roman Polanski did not pay for his crime. He should be more than "embarrassed" for raping a child and who cares if he is an artist. The best art is said to come from painful experiences so arguably a long jail sentence will only improve Roman Polanski's artistic ability. Lets find out.

[whitey7]

01:09 AM on 05/22/2010

In related news Hitler posted on Facebook that Idi Amin is a "cool dude".

[pharmmajor]

12:15 PM on 05/20/2010

Until Polanski has served time in prison, he has not "paid his dues"

[AT Cooper]

06:06 AM on 05/20/2010

As Robert Harris the author of The Ghost Writer Polanski’s latest movie states, there is a lynch mob mentality in the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office presently.

See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/may/19/media-lynch-mob-roma...

This has been in operation for a few years. It was certainly present in the Los Angeles prosecution of the music producer Phillip Spector.
The lynch mob mentality is assisted in California by the Los Angeles Judges allowing Los Angeles prosecutors to dig up and use all your ex-girlfriends or boyfriends or acquaintances against you, and if any happen to say that you pointed a gun at their head 20 years ago. The Los Angeles prosecutors can use that witness information against you at any time in a jury trial, even if not true.

The logic of the Los Angeles Courts allowing all these witnesses to crap royally on you in a Court of “Law” is rather faulty since witness testimony is driven by many things that does not always include the truth, and 5 people saying you pointed a gun at their head twenty years ago does nothing to prove you in fact killed someone with a gun in February 2003. But it will certainly help a naïve jury to bring in their guilty verdict.

Part 1 continued below (3 parts total)

[Bike Commuter]

12:13 PM on 05/20/2010

"5 people saying you pointed a gun at their head twenty years ago does nothing to prove you in fact kiIIed someone with a gun in February 2003."

I am not going to address all of your multipost screed, but I would like to point out that it is ironic you make the above statement while doing the exact same thing. You bring up another case and try to use it to draw parallels and establish a pattern.

[whitey7]

10:14 AM on 05/21/2010

BS! Stop worshipping Hollywood people you don't even know. Polanski is a pedophile and is going to continue to suffer for it. And yes,Spector's long history of careless gunplay is obviously relevant to this murder trial - what are you stupid?

[AT Cooper]

06:05 AM on 05/20/2010

continued part 2

And it is also true to say that 5 witnesses who did not witness any murder, does not and should not prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

In addition and not to forget that the Star witness for the Los Angeles prosecution in Phil Spector’s case Brazilian Chauffeur Adriano De Souza was paid handsomely for his witness testimony by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office with a US residency and forgiving De Souza’s crime that he was illegally working in U.S.A. which makes De Souza’s testimony even less credible since he had something to gain by giving that particular testimony.

In Polanski’s case – Put up a press camera and actress Charlotte Lewis who was in Polanski’s Pirates movie will come, especially if the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office pays her not for her “sexual “ services, but instead for her “witness” services.

So is it possible someone paid Charlotte Lewis to come to Los Angeles, even though the press & her lawyer Gloria Allred made a point of saying that Charlotte had flown to Los Angeles on her own dime.

Would Charlotte pay her own fare to Los Angeles to meet the L.A.D.A for free? I doubt it.

[AT Cooper]

06:03 AM on 05/20/2010

continued

If Charlotte did not have sex with Roman Polanski for nothing, and was happy to enjoy the fame and fortune by remaining silent at the time about the sexual encounter & which took 28 years for her to report, it would follow that the only reason that she is no longer silent is to gain again financially in the same transaction.

In other words whether Charlotte Lewis is silent or not is dependent on what she is able to gain financially and career wise, and she doesn’t mind stabbing Polanski in the back now if it means more fame and glory and financial gain for her.

In addition Charlotte is a useful star witness against Roman Polanski so that the Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley can nail a stale crime against Polanski, and use Polanski’s demise for his quest to become the next Attorney General of California.

[healthanalyst]

01:28 PM on 05/20/2010

Hey stupid, its statuatory rape. She cannot give consent under the law.

Polanski is a sex offender, he deserves jail time, and whatever happens to him in jail as a sex offender is a bonus.

[whitey7]

10:15 AM on 05/21/2010

If you are really this stupid it is best to remain silent.

[AT Cooper]

05:57 AM on 05/20/2010

In regards to Wall Street actor’s Michael Douglas’s bluntness Michael Douglas is up against a Judicial wall himself as Michael Douglas’s son very sadly just received a rather long jail sentence in the last couple of weeks. A tragic occurrence for such a successful and famous family. My condolences to the family.

As far as Michael Douglas’s remark about Roman Polanski I believe that ordinarily that Michael Douglas would not have issued a statement like that saying that Polanski is “somebody who did break the law.”

since Michael Douglas’s statement is not very well thought out because MIchael Douglas is ignoring the Judicial and Prosecutorial corruption in Roman Polanski’s case, and the fact that Polanski served his sentence at Chino Prison and that the Santa Monica Judge wanted to give Polanski two sentences and coerce him into deportation illegally.

Also Michael Douglas is the producer along with Saul Zaentz of the Academy Award movie “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” from the 1970′s

starring Jack Nicholson, Danny Devito, Vincent Schiavelli, directed by Milos Forman, which movie did have a huge impact and perhaps should be viewed again as it does dramatize rebellion and insubordination against oppressive bureaucracy and an insistence upon rights, self-expression, and freedom.

and the movie should be viewed also from the standpoint of Polanski's case, because Roman Polanski did in fact fly over the Cuckoo’s Nest and back to Paris, France in February 1978.

[littleprincess]

09:14 AM on 05/20/2010

"Also Michael Douglas is the producer along with Saul Zaentz of the Academy Award movie “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” from the 1970′s"

AT Cooper, I don't quite see the connection with the statement on the Polanski case, or the case itself. Would you care to explain that -- interesting -- aspect a little further?

[emhellmer]

12:32 AM on 05/21/2010

The sympathetic character in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest had initially been imprisoned for statuatory rape, and was unapologetic about it. He claimed that the 15 year old had aggresively pursued him, and as a man he was helpless to turn it down. The character (incidentally, portrayed by Jack Nickleson, in whose home Polanski raped a 13 year old) was then destoyed by the "system."

AT Cooper is trying to draw an analogy. AT Cooper is failing at doing so.

[healthanalyst]

01:30 PM on 05/20/2010

Junkies who do drugs possible need leniency. Junkies who start dealing need the book thrown at them. I don't care who they are, or who their daddy is. Or their great daddy.

Who cares what movie Michael Douglas was in, his kid was dealing drugs. And not some teenager who didn't know better. Hope he rots for 10 years.

[melpol]

08:21 PM on 05/19/2010

Polanski, Woody Allen, Al Goldstein, Hugh Hefner and many others had one thing in common, they were all cynics who thumbed their noses at conventional lifestyles and got away with it. The most beautiful women of the world begged to share their bedrooms for even a moment. Their hedonistic lifestyle provoked jealousy in those that follow the rules and are forced to make love to a loser. Now its payback time and the family man is getting his revenge. They are overjoyed that Polanski got caught either fondling or raping a 13 year old sleepover. Most want him tarred and feathered, others wish to trade places and make love to the women in his Swiss villa.

[healthanalyst]

01:31 PM on 05/20/2010

Catrated, held upside down then tarred and feathered.

[melpol]

11:08 AM on 05/19/2010

The forgiveness of Polanski should not only come from Woody and fellow artists, it should come from the holy of holies, and that is the Pope. His understanding of the weakness of man and the temptations of the Devil can silence the angry mobs that wants to crucify an aging hipster. The enlightened people of the world anxiously wait for the day when the Pontiff issues an edict that allows Polanski to continue his great works of art without being hounded by scapegoating mobs that have committed greater sins.

[jackbutler5555]

10:06 AM on 05/19/2010

Many here are saying Woody Allen committed sex crimes. I wasn't aware that he had. Can anyone tell me what those crimes were, when he was convicted of the crimes, and what was the punishment?

[healthanalyst]

01:31 PM on 05/20/2010

Adopts a kid, then marries her and has sex with her? Not exactly normal behaviour. Oh right, Hollywood. All that glitz and glamor, its all just fun, right?

[jackbutler5555]

03:31 PM on 05/20/2010

What crime did he commit? (BTW, he didn't adopt her. Andre Previn and Mia adopted her.)

[emhellmer]

12:34 AM on 05/21/2010

No use arguing morality with a legal positivist. Just give it up.

[nightfly22]

09:42 AM on 05/19/2010

Yeah Woody. Roman really paid his dues. Another brilliant statement from a wacko lefty lib.

[melpol]

10:02 PM on 05/18/2010

The forgiveness of Polanski should not only come from Woody, it should come from the holy of holies, and that is the Pope. His understanding of the weakness of man and the temptations of the Devil can silence the angry mob that wants to crucify an aging hipster.

[melpol]

06:01 PM on 05/18/2010

A man is safer with a hooker than with most women. An angry ladies word can smear the most upright gentlemen. It would be wise if a man was escorted with a chaperon. Having a sexual partner has become dangerous.

[emhellmer]

11:18 PM on 05/18/2010

Below any story about rape on HuffPo, one can predictably find a slew of comments from people pointing out the horror of a false rape accusation. We all know that women should be more careful about who they drift off with, etc. I always thought it was strange that we don't tell men the same thing.

The worst comments are from people who say "it's hard to know sometimes...girls give mixed signals..." as if erring on the side of "GO FOR IT!" is acceptable in any other ambiguous situation.

[littleprincess]

09:08 AM on 05/20/2010

Don't make the ladies angry then, and you're quite safe. Only logical... and by all means, stay with the hooker.