Susan Sarandon attacks Woody Allen with reference to historic sexual abuse claim

The actress says she has 'nothing good to say about Woody Allen'

Susan Sarandon has launched a blistering attack on director Woody Allen and made reference to the historic accusation of sexual abuse against him.

The outspoken actress was speaking at the Cannes film festival when she was asked her thoughts on Allen’s declaration he has never made a film about a romantic relationship between an older woman and younger man because he didn’t have “anything to really draw on”.

Sarandon immediately replied, saying: “I have nothing good to say about Woody Allen, so I don’t think we should go there,” reports the Guardian.

When pressed, she elaborated: “I think he sexually assaulted a child and I don’t think that’s right… It’s got very quiet in here, but I think that’s true.”

The appearance of Allen at Cannes Film festival and the release of his new film Cafe Society has been largely overshadowed by the resurfacing of a historic allegation of sex abuse.

In 1993 Allen’s former partner Mia Farrow accused Allen of sexually abusing their adopted daughter Dylan when she was seven years old. Dylan repeated the allegation in a 2014 blog post.

Allen has always vehemently denied the sex abuse allegation. An investigation in 1993 into the allegations was dropped with no charges of any kind being made against Allen. He responded to Dylan’s essay in an article for the New York Times in 2014.

As reviews and pictures from the Cafe Society photocall began to make the rounds, Allen and Farrow’s son Ronan - from whom Allen is estranged - wrote an article for the Hollywood Reporter supporting his sister’s claims and criticising the media for allegedly failing to ask Allen more questions on the allegations.

When asked about the article by the Los Angeles Times, Allen said he had not read it. “I never think about it. I made my statement to the New York Times a long time ago, they gave me a lot of space.

“I think it’s all silly. The whole thing - it doesn’t bother me. I don’t think about it. I work,” he said.

Two of the stars of Allen’s latest film Kristen Stewart and Blake Lively were also both recently asked about the allegations. Stewart said she thought twice about working with the acclaimed director due to the allegations but ultimately decide the “experience of making the movie was so outside of that”.

Lively sidestepped around the allegation and said she believed Allen to be “empowering to women” telling the LA Times: “It’s very dangerous to factor in things you don’t know anything about. I could [only[ know my experience. And my experience with Woody is he’s empowering to women.”

A representative for Allen has been contacted by the Independent.