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A retired Connecticut state prosecutor -- who investigated the sexual abuse claims made by Dylan Farrow against her adopted father, filmmaker Woody Allen -- says he believes that Farrow’s allegations hold water, and for years has wondered how she has been holding up.
Frank Maco, who is now retired, made a huge call in 1993 as a Litchfield County state’s attorney to not put a then 7-year-old Farrow on the stand in the proceedings against the Oscar-winning director simply out of fear Farrow would freeze up in court, potentially forcing the judge to dismiss the charges altogether or acquit Allen.
"I believe her," Maco told People magazine of Farrow in an interview published on Wednesday.
According to the outlet, as a prosecutor, Maco had gone through the evidence and had also seen a home video, which was shown in HBO's recent docuseries "Allen v. Farrow" for the first time. In the video, Farrow is seen telling her mother, actress Mia Farrow, now 76, how Allen allegedly "touched my privates."
"I defy anyone to say that Mia Farrow controlled this child at any point," Maco said. "If you look at that tape with the child and how the child is speaking, these are not words of a child that is manipulated or is being controlled by the mother."
"I saw Mia as a concerned mother," he added. "This is for the public to make their decisions. As to why I believe Dylan? Hey, look at the tape. You tell me. Who do you believe?"
American comedian, actor, and film director Woody Allen (left) and his partner, actress Mia Farrow pose under an awning with their children, from left, Misha, Dylan (in Farrow's arms), Fletcher, and Soon Yi. (Photo by Ann Clifford/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images)
Still, despite claiming to have enough probable cause to try Allen, Maco erred on the side of caution for the future life Farrow would lead as he didn’t want the young girl to harp on the moment the rest of her days.
"[Farrow] was completely withdrawn, with simply a frozen stare on her face, who would not open up at all to me," Maco recalled to People magazine of an interaction he had with Farrow at the time she came forward with her allegations.
"This child would now live the rest of her life knowing she got her day in court, but that because she froze, that he receives an acquittal or a dismissal," added the former prosecutor.
Per the report from the outlet, after electing not to place Farrow on the stand, Maco told Farrow’s mother, Mia, that Dylan could press him at any time about his decision and Maco would tell her everything that went into it.
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Fast-forward to today, the recent docuseries -- which details the allegations and the dynamic among those in the Allen family -- enabled Farrow to meet face-to-face with Maco for an explanation.
During the September 2020 connection -- which happened during a sit-down in the yard of the Connecticut home Farrow grew up in -- Maco told People magazine that Farrow, now 35, lamented to him that she wished she had been much braver in 1993.
Footage of Dylan Farrow from the HBO docuseries 'Allen v. Farrow.' (HBO)
"She said, 'I blame myself. I wasn't strong enough,'" Maco relayed of their conversation.
"And I said, 'Dylan, I never want to hear you say that to me. You were a child. If anything, blame me. I made the decision. I opted for that. You could always point to me and say, 'that prosecutor didn't prosecute.'"
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Maco said Farrow became emotional and through tears told him, "I just needed to hear that."
In the series, Mia Farrow also detailed Allen’s alleged affair with her adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn, now 50.
Woody Allen kisses his now-wife Soon-Yi Previn, the adopted daughter of his former lover Mia Farrow, in a gondola in Venice's Grand Canal on December 24, 1997. (Reuters)
Allen and Previn would go on to marry in 1997. While Allen claimed his relationship with Previn began after her first semester of college, Farrow alleged in the second episode of the series that their affair began when she was still in high school.
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A spokesperson for Allen and Previn previously spoke out following the premiere of "Allen v. Farrow."
"These documentarians had no interest in the truth," a statement sent to Fox News reads. "Instead, they spent years surreptitiously collaborating with the Farrows and their enablers to put together a hatchet job riddled with falsehoods. Woody and Soon-Yi were approached less than two months ago and given only a matter of days ‘to respond.’ Of course, they declined to do so."
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"As has been known for decades, these allegations are categorically false," the statement continued. "Multiple agencies investigated them at the time and found that, whatever Dylan Farrow may have been led to believe, absolutely no abuse had ever taken place. It is sadly unsurprising that the network to air this is HBO – which has a standing production deal and business relationship with Ronan Farrow. While this shoddy hit piece may gain attention, it does not change the facts."
Meanwhile, producers of the HBO docuseries extended an invitation to Allen should he want to speak out and say his peace for a fifth episode.
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Allen has continued to deny the allegations for decades and in a 2020 memoir, Allen said he "never did anything to [Dylan] that could be even misconstrued as abusing her" and called the claims a "total fabrication from start to finish."
Fox News' Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.
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