Hachette Book Group has announced that they will no longer publish Woody Allen’s memoir, “Apropos of Nothing.”
The announcement comes after the staff at Hachette’s New York office staged a walkout on Thursday. The walkout included employees from imprint Little, Brown, and Company, which released Ronan Farrow’s “Catch and Kill,” which detailed his decision to publicly speak out against his father’s actions. Following the announcement that Hachette would be publishing his father’s memoir, Farrow stated he would be ending his relationship with Hachette. Farrow has repeatedly stood by his sister Dylan Farrow, in her allegations that the filmmaker molested her as a child.
“At HBG, we take our relationships with authors very seriously, and do not cancel books lightly,” the publishing company said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
They continued by saying, “Hachette Book Group has decided that it will not publish Woody Allen’s memoir Apropos of Nothing, originally scheduled for sale in April 2020, and will return all rights to the author.”
“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. 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. Also, as a company, we are committed to offering a stimulating, supportive, and open work environment for all our staff. Over the past few days, HBG leadership had extensive conversations with our staff and others. After listening, we came to the conclusion that moving forward with publication would not be feasible for HBG.”
A source revealed to the Hollywood Reporter that staff was clapping and cheering over the news.
Following the announcement, Dylan tweeted his appreciation for the decision to no longer publish Allen’s memoir.
“I’m in awe and so very grateful. To each and every individual who, at great professional risk to themselves, stood in solidarity with my brother, myself, and all victims of sexual abuse yesterday: words will never describe the debt of gratitude I owe to you,” she added. “For someone who has felt alone in my story for so long, yesterday was a profound reminder of what a difference can be made when people stand and unite together for what’s right. Thank you so very much.”
