Scarlett Johansson Talks About Her Support for Woody Allen

Woody Allen's lost tons of supporters over the past few years ... but Scarlett Johansson's sticking by the beleaguered filmmaker.

The actress spoke about her connection to the director in a new interview with The Telegraph and said she wasn't sure how deep the "domino effect" of her willingness to work with Allen really ran.

However, Johansson said her mother had raised her to believe in herself and to stand up for what she believes in -- including working with Allen.

In case you needed a refresher, Allen's adopted daughter Dylan Farrow accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a child ... and her allegations gained further traction when the #MeToo movement gained steam in the late 2010s, leading several figures in Hollywood to distance themselves from the filmmaker. He's denied all the allegations, and he's never been charged with any crimes.

Johansson said she's learned about the importance of knowing when it was appropriate to speak out about touchy topics and when to hold off.

She also said she didn't want to encourage anyone to "silence" themselves when dealing with tough issues, and noted she's grown more comfortable with waiting for the right time to address a hot-button topic.

FYI ... Johansson and Allen have worked together on three movies -- namely "Match Point," "Scoop," and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," which were released in 2005, 2006, and 2008, respectively.