Woody Allen: I should be poster boy for #MeToo

Dylan Farrow claims her father sexually abused her in 1992

Woody Allen has said he should be the "poster boy" for the Me Too movement because he's never been accused of mistreating actresses he's worked with.

The director's daughter Dylan has said he molested her in 1992 when she was seven, which he vigorously denies.

He said that claim has meant he's been "lumped in" with "terrible harassers" amid the Hollywood abuse scandal.

But he said he had worked with hundreds of actresses and none had "ever suggested any kind of impropriety".

He told Argentine TV show Periodismo Para Todos he fully supports those trying to bring abusers to account.

Allen claims Mia Farrow (right) coached daughter Dylan

"Everyone wants justice to be done," he said. "If there's something like the Me Too movement now, you root for them, you want them to bring to justice these terrible harassers, these people that do all these terrible things.

"And I think that's a good thing. What bothers me is that I get linked in with them.

"People who have been accused by 20 women, 50 women, 100 women of abuse and abuse and abuse - and I, who was only accused by one woman in a child custody case which was looked at and proven to be untrue, I get lumped in with these people."

Dylan Farrow's allegations first emerged in 1992 when the director was in a bitter custody battle with partner Mia Farrow.

Prosecutors in Connecticut investigated the alleged incident and decided not to bring charges, although they said there was "probable cause" to do so.

Allen maintains that Mia Farrow coached her daughter to make her allegation.

Woody Allen married Mia Farrow's adopted daughter Soon Yi Previn in 1997

Ronan Farrow, another of the couple's children, has previously said he believes his sister. He was one of the first to report allegations against Harvey Weinstein last October, kicking off the Me Too and Time's Up movements.

"As I say, I'm a big advocate of the Me Too movement," Woody Allen told the interviewer. "When they find people who harass innocent women and men, it's a good thing that they're exposing them.

"But, you know, I should be the poster boy for the Me Too movement because I have worked in movies for 50 years. I've worked with hundreds of actresses. Hundreds.

"And not a single one - big ones, famous ones, ones starting out - have ever, ever suggested any kind of impropriety at all. I've always had a wonderful record with them."

Diane Keaton has spoken in support of Woody Allen

He added that he had created "wonderful roles" for many actresses and had employed more than 200 women behind the camera and always paid them the same as men.

"So I'm very much on their side and in their corner and feel part of that," he continued. "I'm in principle and spirit completely in favour of their bringing to justice genuine harassers.

"Now, if someone is innocent and they get swept up, that's very sad for the person. I think that's unjust. But otherwise I think it's a very good thing to expose harassment."

Moses Farrow, Allen and Farrow's adopted son, recently spoke in support of his father, saying he "continues to be condemned for a crime he did not commit".

Diane Keaton, who won an Oscar for her role in Allen's 1977 film Annie Hall, said in January that she "continues to believe him".

But Colin Firth, Timothee Chalamet, Greta Gerwig and Rebecca Hall are among a number of stars who have expressed regret at working with the Oscar-winning film-maker.