In June 2020, Lee defended filmmaker Woody Allen despite his sexual abuse allegation during a radio interview stating: "I'd just like to say Woody Allen is a great, great filmmaker and this cancel thing is not just Woody. And I think when we look back on it we are going to see that short of killing somebody, I don't know you that you can just erase somebody like they never existed. Woody's a friend of mine. I know he's going through it right now." Following social media backlash, Lee issued an apology on Twitter. Spike has also defended Nate Parker who was accused and charged with sexual assault.