BREAKING NEWS

Allies come to Woody Allen's defense on abuse allegations

LOS ANGELES - The long-time lawyer of Woody Allen and veteran journalist Barbara Walters came out in support of the Oscar-winning filmmaker on Tuesday following renewed allegations of sexual abuse from his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow.
Elkan Abramowitz, who represented Allen at the time of the original investigation into abuse two decades ago, told NBC News that the "timing is suspect," and linked the accusations to Allen's recent Golden Globes life achievement award.
"Nothing's happened, they haven't had any relationship for the last 20 years. So all of a sudden we're seeing these allegations surface again, and one has to wonder why," Abramowitz told NBC's "Today" show.
"He is innocent," he said. "The case is over - there is no case."
The campaign for Allen comes as the 6,000-plus members of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences prepare to vote for the Oscars next week, ahead of the March 2 ceremony. Allen's film "Blue Jasmine" has three nominations, including best original screenplay for Allen and best actress for Cate Blanchett, the favorite to win.