In the wake of multiple sexual harassment and assault allegations leveled against former T.W.C. head Harvey Weinstein, much of Hollywood has been speaking out unequivocally against the former studio mogul, calling his behavior “disgusting,” “disgraceful,” and “sickening.” On Saturday, Woody Allen added his voice to the chorus, claiming to empathize with Weinstein’s alleged victims, but also with Weinstein himself.

“[It’s] tragic for the poor women that were involved, sad for Harvey that is life is so messed up,” Allen told the BBC in an interview published Sunday. “There’s no winners in that, it’s just very, very sad and tragic for those poor women that had to go through that.”

He added that he had heard rumors of Weinstein’s misconduct himself, but dismissed them because he was “not interested in it.” “No one ever came to me or told me horror stories with any real seriousness,” Allen said. “And they wouldn’t, because you are not interested in it. You are interested in making your movie. But you do hear a million fanciful rumors all the time. And some turn out to be true and some—many—are just stories about this actress, or that actor.”

Allen himself has been accused of abusing his daughter, Ronan Farrow, and the BBC notes that Weinstein has been credited with “reviving Allen’s career” after that scandal broke in the 1990s. It was Allen’s son Ronan Farrow who produced the second account of accusations against Weinstein in The New Yorker last week.

Allen also said he was glad that the allegations were leading to ongoing investigations by the N.Y.P.D. and, as of Saturday morning, the British police. But, he said, “You also don’t want it to lead to a witch hunt atmosphere, a Salem atmosphere, where every guy in an office who winks at a woman is suddenly having to call a lawyer to defend himself. That’s not right either.”