Staff of the Hachette Book Group staged a walkout on Thursday in protest of the company’s decision to publish a memoir by director Woody Allen, whose daughter has accused him of molesting her when she was a child.
Employees from several imprints of Hachette ― including Little, Brown and Company and Grand Central Publishing, which is handling Allen’s new book ― were seen rallying outside the company’s offices in New York City.
One Hachette Book Group employee estimated there were over 100 employees who left the office in protest. Another estimate had counted 75 employees earlier Thursday.
Ronan Farrow, Allen’s estranged son and a journalist, tweeted Tuesday that he was “disappointed” that Hachette would acquire his father’s book after many other major publishers declined to do so. Hachette published Ronan Farrow’s 2019 book “Catch and Kill,” which chronicled his reporting on sexual assault allegations against film producer and convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein.
Farrow said he was dropping the publisher over its deal with Allen.
Dylan Farrow, Ronan’s older sister and Allen’s daughter, has alleged that her father sexually abused her when she was 7 years old. Allen has denied the accusation.
“As a Hachette employee, I walked out today in solidarity with the #LittleBrownWalkout, #GrandCentral Walkout, Dylann Farrow, Ronan Farrow, and all survivors of sexual assault,” multiple Hachette employees tweeted Thursday.
Publishers Weekly received an auto-reply email from Grand Central Publishing employees stating that they were walking out of the office in solidarity with the Farrows, the publication reported.
“This afternoon, Grand Central Publishing employees are walking out of the Hachette New York office in protest of the publication of Woody Allen’s memoir,” the email said, according to the Weekly. “We stand in solidarity with Ronan Farrow, Dylan Farrow, and survivors of sexual assault.”
In a statement to The Daily Beast and The New York Times, Hachette stated: “We respect and understand the perspective of our employees who have decided to express their concern over the publication of this book. We will engage our staff in a fuller discussion about this at the earliest opportunity.”
Dylan Farrow tweeted her thanks to the Hachette walkout participants.
“Unbelievably overwhelmed and so incredibly grateful for the solidarity demonstrated by [Hachette] and [Little, Brown] employees today,” she wrote. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
Other authors who are working on books that will be published by Hachette imprints expressed their solidarity with the employees.
Robin Stevenson, author of the upcoming young adult novel “When You Get The Chance,” said she and her co-author Tom Ryan wanted to “add [their] voices” to those of the employees walking out.
N.K. Jemisin, who has published several books with Hachette, urged the company to pay attention to the protesters.
“So apparently my publisher decided to put out a memoir by a notorious child sexual abuser, and the employees have walked off to show solidarity with survivors. As they should,” Jemisin tweeted. “Come on, [Hachette], don’t do this.”
The union for another book publisher, HarperCollins Publishers, also showed its support for the Hachette Book Group employees who were protesting against the company.
“Collective action is how we hold the powerful accountable,” the union said in a tweet.
Allen’s forthcoming memoir, “Apropos of Nothing,” is scheduled to be released on April 7.
Grand Central Publishing and Little, Brown did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment.
Read more tweets of support for the walkout below: