Soon-Yi interview (1992) about Woody Allen and Mia Farrow
On September 16, 2018, Vulture published a Soon-Yi interview, Introducing Soon-Yi Previn, by Daphne Merkin: “As controversies tumbled around her, the daughter of Mia Farrow and wife of Woody Allen stayed silent for decades. No more.” But on Aug. 31, 1992, in an interview by Walter Isaacson for Time magazine, Soon-Yi Previn was already defending her relationship with Woody Allen.
Soon-Yi Previn and Woody Allen.
Soon-Yi Interview about Woody Allen and Mia Farrow
Q. How old are you?
A. This October I will be 22. Look at my driver’s license and passport. I was not raped, molested or manipulated as Mia has hysterically charged, nor am I retarded or mentally slow as she would have you believe. I am at college majoring in psychology, and although she cut off all my education funds and living money, I have made arrangements to complete my studies and graduate.
Q. Did you consider Woody Allen to be a father figure?
A. To think that Woody was in any way a father or stepfather to me is laughable. My parents are Andre Previn and Mia, but obviously they’re not even my real parents. I came to America when I was 7. I was never remotely close to Woody.
“Until 1990, although he had had little contact with any of the Previn children, Mr. Allen had the least to do with Soon-Yi.”– Supreme Court, Justice Wilk.
He was someone who was devoted exclusively to his own children and to his work, and we never spent a moment together. We rarely ever spoke, and were polite but uninterested in one another.
“… when she was little, I asked Woody several times if he would take her for a walk, buy her an ice cream or something, but he had declined.” – Mia Farrow’s Memoir, What Fall Away.
The fact is I really had no interest in knowing him better, nor he me.
Q. When did your relationship change?
A. When I was 20 and he had no one to go to a basketball game with and I wanted to see one. By that time his relationship with Mia was long done, and they were going through the motions. They were friendly but rarely went out, and apart from when they worked together or played with their children, had little to do with one another.
A. I don’t go home because Mia can be and has been violent toward me. I will not go into details, but her treatment of me was hardly maternal, even given our current problems. She is not who she pretends to be, certainly not the kind of mother (people think), and while my brothers and sisters are still dependent on her, they will say things and pretend to feelings I know full well not to be true.
There is no question I owe Mia a great deal for adopting me. For that gesture I still love her. But responsibility does not stop at the act of adopting. I truly regret Mia chose to burden all the children with these adult problems.
On Aug. 30, 1992, Newsweek had also published a statement by Soon-Yi Previn.
In the cacophony of dueling acrimonies rising from the Woody-Mia imbroglio, the one crucially silent voice thus far has been that of the young woman at the heart of the storm, Soon-Yi Farrow Previn, Mia’s Korean-born adopted daughter who has become the new love in Woody Allen’s life. In the following statement given to NEWSWEEK by Allen’s publicist, Soon-Yi finally speaks out for herself.
Soon-yi Previn Describes Farrow’s Burst Of Outrage
Soon-Yi Previn has told friends that an enraged Mia Farrow hit her, screamed at her and cut up her clothing after learning she was sleeping with Woody Allen, Farrow’s longtime lover, a New York newspaper reported Friday.
Moses Farrow speaks about his sister Soon-Yi Previn
Moses Farrow is the brother of Dylan Farrow, Ronan Farrow and Soon-Yi Previn.
“Soon-Yi was her most frequent scapegoat. My sister had an independent streak and, of all of us, was the least intimidated by Mia. When pushed, she would call our mother out on her behavior and ugly arguments would ensue. When Soon-Yi was young, Mia once threw a large porcelain centerpiece at her head. Luckily it missed, but the shattered pieces hit her legs. Years later, Mia beat her with a telephone receiver. Soon-Yi’s made it clear that her desire was simply to be left alone, which increasingly became the case. Even if her relationship with Woody was unconventional, it allowed her to escape. Others weren’t so lucky.” – Moses Farrow, A Son Speaks Out
2 Comments on “Soon-Yi interview (1992) about Woody Allen and Mia Farrow”
I followed the Allen v. Farrow story in the news when it first broke, and was relieved for the family when the investigation found that no molestation had occurred. It was a nasty vendetta of a woman scorned which I never really understood. Then I encountered another woman whom I will call Joan of Arc. Joan shared so many of Mia’s characteristics: Actively sought a saintly image of super mom; Emotionally abusive to her non-biological children; Cares more about her own agenda than the harm her actions cause the children; Changed children’s names to better fit her narrative; and CONTROLLING beyond belief!!!
The real tragedy here is that the law does not protect innocent men who are falsely accused.
I followed the Allen v. Farrow story in the news when it first broke, and was relieved for the family when the investigation found that no molestation had occurred. It was a nasty vendetta of a woman scorned which I never really understood. Then I encountered another woman whom I will call Joan of Arc. Joan shared so many of Mia’s characteristics: Actively sought a saintly image of super mom; Emotionally abusive to her non-biological children; Cares more about her own agenda than the harm her actions cause the children; Changed children’s names to better fit her narrative; and CONTROLLING beyond belief!!!
The real tragedy here is that the law does not protect innocent men who are falsely accused.
Unfortunately, we know that Mia Farrow is not alone.