It turns out Selena Gomez’s mother, Mandy Teefey, had warned Gomez about working with Woody Allen. Allen is known for directing the films Annie Hall and Manhattan, and is alleged to have sexually assaulted his daughter, Dylan Farrow.
Despite the allegations, Gomez went on to star in Allen’s upcoming film A Rainy Day in New York, a rom-com based on a relationship between a teenager and a middle-aged man (er…), starring Rebecca Hall, Jude Law, Elle Fanning and Timothée Chalamet. The film’s storyline itself raises tensions on Allen’s questionable history, particularly with the 35-year age difference with his current wife, Soon-Yi Previn.
When a fan requested that Gomez make an apology for the Woody Allen film on Instagram, Teefey wrote the response “Sorry, No one can make Selena do anything she doesn’t want to.”
It also looks as if Teefey had cautioned Gomez about Allen: “I had a long talk with her about not working with him and it didn’t click,” the comment continued.
Teefey didn’t place blame on anyone working for Gomez, though. “Her team are amazing people. There is no one fall person here. No one controls her. She makes all her own decisions. No matter how hard you you try to advise. It falls on deaf ears,” Teefey wrote.
Selena Gomez’s mum just threw her under the bus in this whole Woody Allen mess pic.twitter.com/KKvStwEBLg
— Joshua Fox (@joshua_fox) January 16, 2018
Some have questioned Gomez’s involvement in Allen’s upcoming film, especially since Gomez is an advocate of mental health awareness and executive producer of the Netflix show “13 Reasons Why” which promotes awareness of sexual harassment and mental illness.
Okay but Selena Gomez working with woody Allen while claiming she stands with women who have been sexually harassed is biggest the hypocrisy
— K.? (@HSxFetish_) January 16, 2018
Selena Gomez auditioned about 5 TIMES for her role in the Woody Allen movie. Even her own mother didn’t want her to work with him, yet Selena Gomez decided to anyways and her stans still want to defend her. When you have your own mother expose you……. pic.twitter.com/c7ZuATSYFT
— Moonlit? (@feelsitariana) January 16, 2018
Twitter is talking more about Selena Gomez working with Woody Allen instead of talking about him, the one acused of rape, and I’m not trying to defend her but she’s the only one y’all are calling out meanwhile you give a freepass to another celebs including Woody
You’re not wake https://t.co/PTVNLKx3sd— (@ifiwereuiddome) January 16, 2018
Elle Fanning has an even larger role than Selena Gomez in the new Woody Allen movie but she’s received no backlash for it. Not backing Selena or anything, I’m just saying y’all always wanna drag Selena to shreds whenever she’s even mildly problematic.
— Ariana Grande SA (@TeamGrandeSA) January 16, 2018
It’s hard to say if Gomez will respond to the controversy, but for now she hasn’t said anything.
Meanwhile, her co-star Timothée Chalamet has announced that he will donating his salary from A Rainy Day in New York to the Time’s Up movement, LGBT Center in New York and anti-sexual assault organization RAINN. Rebecca Hall has also expressed regret and announced she will donate her salary from the film to the Time’s Up movement.