EXCLUSIVE: 'It was like walking in on two adults': Friend who first alerted Mia Farrow that Woody Allen had 'abused' their daughter reveals her horror that day and his 'obsession and strange intensity' with seven-year-old
The woman who was the whistleblower over shocking claims that Woody Allen abused his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow today describes the stars extraordinary obsession with the little girl.
And today she speaks out following a torrid month in which Dylan, now 28, published full details of Allens alleged abuse - which was swiftly followed by a furious denial from the star.
Mother-of-three Casey, who has been close friends with Mia Farrow since childhood, enjoyed lazy summer days in Connecticut with the actress and her brood - but claims she felt so uncomfortable around Allen that she would never have left her own children alone with him.
Close: Woody Allen and Mia Farrow celebrate daughter Dylan's birthday (next to Allen) - believed to be either her sixth or seventh birthday - in Connecticut - watched on by Mia's brood of children and close friend Casey Pascal (right)
Mia and me: Mia Farrow's longtime best friend Casey Pascal, seen here with her son John and the actress, speaks out about Woody Allen's 'obsessive behaviour' with his adopted daughter Dylan
The gang: Casey Pascal's three young children were close to Mia's brood. From left: John Pascal, Ronan Farrow, Emma Pascal, Katherine Pascal, Isaiah Farrow, Dylan Farrow and Quincy Farrow
Indeed, she says Mia always told babysitters NEVER to leave Dylan and Woody alone together as the star was at the time in treatment with a child psychologist for his inappropriate behaviour with the little girl.
And in her first-ever length interview, Casey tells MailOnline how Mia is suffering terribly and is horrified that the allegations, first made more than 20 years ago, have now reared up yet again.
The actress is also extraordinarily distressed that her adopted son Moses has chosen to cut her out of his life and resume a relationship with Allen - while insisting all the while that his sister has made up the claims that have prompted her adoptive father to allege she is a fantasist.
However, Casey - who shares never-seen before pictures of Mia, Allen and the children - says: Dylan decided she had not been heard and this is her hurt.
Shes an adult and Mia of course supports and loves her. Mia would do anything for the sake of her children.
Her comments come as a close family friend tells MailOnline: The family didnt instigate Dylan speaking out, in fact they really wrestled with whether it was the right thing to do. On some levels, they are annoyed but they also understand, somewhat grudgingly, that its the right and brave thing to do.
And the friend freely admits Dylan was spurred on to speak out after Allen was honoured with the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes last month and given a gushing tribute by long-time pal and co-star Diane Keaton, adding: She was curled up in a ball watching her tormenter be celebrated. Its not her hidden agenda its her stated agenda.
Allens latest movie, Blue Jasmine, has been nominated for three Oscars and the friend said:It was triggered by Hollywood rallying around him during this awards season.
Whistleblower: Casey Pascal is the family friend who told Mia Farrow her babysitter had walked in on Woody Allen allegedly with his head in Dylan Farrow's lap
It was in full glare of summer, on Tuesday, August 4, 1992, that Casey, now 70, left her children John, Emma and Katherine, with Mias children in the care of three nannies while they went shopping locally.
She had known Mia since their schooldays at a British boarding school in Kingston-upon-Thames and had spent days in the garden of the Connecticut estate with a nervous Allen, who, she said, wore a hat that looked like he was going on safari - and hated the country so much that to appease him, Mia had put special glasses for him in the freezer and had to install a new shower because he was afraid he was going to go down the drain!
Mere months had passed since Mia had discovered a set of exceedingly graphic nude Polaroid photos of her adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn, barely hidden on Woodys mantelpiece, who was at the time was believed to be either 19 or 21.
But for the sake of the children, Mia allowed Woody to stay in contact with his son Satchel now known as Ronan whose paternity has since been brought into doubt and his adopted daughter Dylan. However, there remained an atmosphere of hurt in the house.
And she suggested the shopping trip purely, she says, because Allen was on his way over to the Bridgewater home Mia had bought, named Frog Hollow.
It was while they were out that Caseys babysitter Alison Strickland walked in on a scene in the TV room that left her reeling.
Little Dylan was sitting on the sofa, while kneeling before her, with his head in her lap was Woody Allen. Alison would later give testimony in a 1993 court battle, saying Dylan had been sitting on the couch staring vacantly in the direction of a television set.
Casey recalls: We took Mias baby son Isaiah out with us and went to the store and while we were gone Alison went looking for John and opened a door to a little den off the kitchen and found Woody with his head in Dylan's lap.
We came back, not knowing anything about this, we noticed Dylan didnt have any underwear on and Mia asked one of the girls to help her get some pants on.
It was not until later that day, Casey says, that: Alison came to me and said there was something I should know, she said it was the kind of situation where if she had walked in on grown-ups she would have said sorry - then she realised there was a very small child involved and she was horrified.
I had to call Mia and it was so horrific I set the wheels in motion.
Calling Alison above reproach, Casey says, there was never a question of not believing her, she had worked for me since my children were babies.
It was a significant tipping point as Woodys relationship with Dylan had become so intense he had sought treatment for his inappropriate behaviour with the little girl, according to Casey.
It was an on-going concern, Casey says: People were concerned about Woodys behaviour with Dylan. His intensity with the child
he didnt seem to leave her alone for a second. He was obsessed with the child. Mia had mentioned it to him and he was seeing someone.
I saw it from the perspective that the children would be involved in a game and he would come and scoop her up and take her away, it was not anything you would consider normal
.
'Mia always told baby sitters never to leave Woody and Dylan alone...the child seemed to have no space for herself, he overpowered her. He was gushing over a child who just wanted to be someplace else'
Casey Pascal
Mia always told baby sitters never to leave them alone, the child seemed to have no space for herself, he overpowered her.
She would be going off into her mind in a different space, she would tune out. We knew it was too intense for a little girl.
I would just take my children home when Woody arrived as there was no more playing with Dylan when he arrived.
Pausing, Casey adds: It was such a one-sided relationship. He was gushing attentively over a little child who just wanted to be someplace else.
And in a telling statement, she said: I would never have left my children with him.
Caseys phone call to Mia would spark the mother-of-14 to videotape Dylan, who would go on to claim that her adoptive father had molested her in the attic of the house.
It later transpired that Farrow familys nanny Kristie Groteke, who had been left with clear instructions not to leave Allen alone with Dylan, had not been able to find them for about 15-20 minutes on the same afternoon the star had been seen with his head in his daughters lap.
In open letter in the New York Times earlier this month, Dylan wrote: He told me to lay on my stomach and play with my brothers electric train set.
Family: Dylan Farrow, who now lives under another name and lives in Florida, pictured with her husband on September 15, 2012
'Then he sexually assaulted me. He talked to me while he did it, whispering that I was a good girl, that this was our secret, promising that we'd go to Paris and Id be a star in his movies.'
She went on to describe how the award-winning director of 'Annie Hall' and 'Manhattan' would always find a way to touch her and do things to her she did not like, including sticking his thumb in her mouth, forcing her to get into bed with him and placing his head in her naked lap.
'I thought this was how fathers doted on their daughters. But what he did to me in the attic felt different,' she said. Allen, 78, has always denied the allegations of sexual abuse against Dylan. He was never charged with, or convicted of, a crime in this case.
The allegations led to four court battles a lawsuit, a disciplinary charge against the prosecutor, and two appealsand Allen was made to pay more than $1 million in Mias legal fees.
So I'm going to rule that one out. I think he married Soon Yi because he is the type of man who lusts after young family members, period.
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