Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David has defended Woody Allen after reading his controversial new memoir.

Apropos of Nothing hit the headlines recently after a mass walk-out by staff at original publishers Hachette over sexual assault allegations against Allen, with the publishing house subsequently dropping it. However, it was later picked up for publication by Arcade Publishing.

Speaking about his own thoughts on the memoir, David told the New York Times: “Yeah, it’s pretty great, it’s a fantastic book, so funny.

“You feel like you’re in the room with him and yeah, it’s just a great book and it’s hard to walk away after reading that book thinking that this guy did anything wrong.”

Allen has been accused of abusing his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow — claims the filmmaker has consistently denied.

In the postscript to the published memoir, Allen alleges that Hachette agreed to publish it even though they were aware he was a “toxic pariah and menace to society”.

He also once again denies the allegations and claims they are part of an “Ahab-like” quest of revenge against him by former partner Mia Farrow.

In the postscript, Allen also admits the fallout “plays into my poetic fantasies to be an artist whose work isn’t seen in his own country and is forced, because of injustice, to have his public abroad. Henry Miller comes to mind. D.H. Lawrence. James Joyce. I see myself standing amongst them defiantly. It’s about at that point my wife wakes me up and says, ‘You’re snoring.’”

Defending the decision to publish the memoir, Arcade Publishing’s Jeannette Seaver said they wanted to “give voice to a respected artist, rather than bow to those determined to silence him”.