When Dr Jekyll Did a Mr Hyde: List of Artists With a Dark Side

Is artistic contribution a sufficient price for abuse and pedophilia?

In the wake of the critical acclaim of the Marathi film Sairat, emerged accusations of financial, emotional and physical abuse by director Nagraj Manjule’s wife. Suniya Manjule’s allegations have drawn attention to a very significant, but often overlooked question – do we deify artistic personalities enough to completely overlook their misdemeanours?

In the debate on whether it is ethical to accept or reject a great piece of art by a person accused of physical and sexual assault, there is no conclusion in sight.

In the meantime, here’s a list of famous personalities accused of being obnoxious human beings when removed from their art.

Also Read: Exclusive: ‘Sairat’ Director’s Ex-Wife Tells Her Story of Abuse

Directors:

Direction is tough work, demanding intensive creative engagement on a constant basis. However, for these directors, artistic genius is combined with something darker and far less welcoming – accusations of pedophilia and decadent sexual escapades.

Woody Allen

Woody Allen is known as the creator of iconic films like Manhattan, Annie Hall, and more recently,Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Midnight in Paris. But his reputation suffered a severe blow in 2014 when his adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow (adopted with girlfriend Mia Farrow) accused him of sexually abusing her when she was seven years old. She described her trauma in an open letter published in The New York Times.

The charges had first surfaced in 1993, but Allen consistently denied any wrongdoing.

In 1992, Allen also had an affair with Mia Farrow’s other adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn. Previn and Allen got married in 1997.

Roman Polanski

Polanski is charged with the rape of 13-year-old Samantha Gailey who later wrote a memoir about it. Following a 2009 arrest, a petition was started to get Polanski released from custody. It was signed by over a 100 people, including Woody Allen. In 2010, he was released from custody.

Actors:

An actor is seldom far from public scrutiny. It’s a perpetual job of keeping up appearances, but for some, when these appearances shatter, they reveal a disturbing reality in their wake.

Sean Connery

According to reports, Connery has publicly, and rather unapologetically, spoken about beating the women in his life.

I don’t think there is anything particularly wrong about hitting a woman – although I don’t recommend doing it in the same way that you’d hit a man. An openhanded slap is justified – if all other alternatives fail and there has been plenty of warning. If a woman is a bitch, or hysterical, or bloody-minded continually, then I’d do it. I think a man has to be slightly advanced, ahead of the woman. I really do – by virtue of the way a man is built, if nothing else. But I wouldn’t call myself sadistic.

Sean Connery to Playboy, 1965

In another interview in the 80s, Connery defended himself once again.

I haven’t changed my opinion. […] No. Not at all. I don’t think it’s bad, and I think it depends entirely on the circumstances, and if it merits it. If you have tried everything else – and women are pretty good at this – when they can’t leave it alone and want to have the last word, then you give them the last word. But they’re not happy with having the last word, they want to say it again and get into a really provocative situation. Then, I think it’s absolutely right.

Sean Connery

Michael Fassbender

While drooling over his perfect jawline, many fans overlook, or remain unaware, of the charges of violence against the X-Men actor. Fassbender’s ex-girlfriend had accused him of hitting her violently enough to break her nose, and dragging her by the hair till her knee busted. She asked for a restraining order but the charges were later dropped without any officially confirmed reasons.

Johnny Depp

Following a brief marriage of 15 months, Amber Heard filed for a divorce from Depp and slammed him with a restraining order. She claimed that during the “entirety of our relationship, Johnny has been verbally and physically abusive to me.”

However, sources suggest that Heard had been violent too with Depp on several occasions.

Singers:

The crooners of the music industry are not far behind. Apparently, behind all those songs about peace and healing the world, there was a very different narrative.

John Lennon

Lennon in an interview to Playboy magazine reportedly talked about the times he had assaulted both men and women:

I was a hitter. I couldn’t express myself and I hit. I fought men and I hit women.

John Lennon

At a later point in his life, he added:

I will have to be a lot older before I can face in public how I treated women as a youngster.

Michael Jackson

The singer has been infamous for several accusations of pedophilia from as early as 1993. The second charge against Jackson came in 2003. Though Jackson strongly denied the charges, multiple victims gave elaborate and detailed accounts of their trauma.

Closer Home in Bollywood

Bollywood follows its western counterpart with its own set of relationships gone violently wrong.

Salman Khan

Salman Khan has violent assault of his girlfriends added to his list of offences, that include the black buck and the hit-and-run cases. In fact his alcoholism and violent behaviour prompted the break-up with former girlfriend Aishwarya Rai Bacchan, according to media sources.

His assault had reportedly reached the point where it required the intervention of her parents, who then filed a complaint against him on the grounds of stalking, threat and harassment.

Rajesh Khanna

In direct contradiction to his image as the quintessential romance hero of yesteryears, are accusations of domestic violence against Rajesh Khanna. Allegedly, these became the reason for his failed romance with long-time girlfriend Anju Mahendroo, and later with his wife Dimple Kapadia.