While I am an Old Fart ™, the Mia Farrow-Woody Allen split was before my time. I can remember being a little girl and the morning shows would cover the back-and-forth accusations between Mia and Woody, specifically regarding Soon-Yi Previn, who was then just a teenager. This whole “before my time” gossip is one of the reasons I feel strangely separated from all of the Woody Allen crap that’s come out in the past few years – while I definitely think Woody is shady, disgusting, etc, I also think Mia had and has some profound issues too.
Anyway, the basic gist is that Mia and Woody were long-time partners (unmarried) who lived separately. At some point, Mia realized that Woody had seduced her then-teenage daughter Soon-Yi Previn (Soon-Yi had been adopted when Mia was married to Andre Previn). That’s when everything hit the fan. Ever since then, Soon-Yi and Woody have been together and they married in 1997. They will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary in two years. He will turn 80 years old in December. Soon-Yi will turn 45 in October. While Soon-Yi is always at Woody’s side on red carpets and elsewhere, he really doesn’t discuss her that much publicly. But Woody has been promoting Irrational Man and he’s seemed especially press-friendly this time around, so he sat down for a discussion with NPR and he ended up talking about his relationship with Soon-Yi.
How it started with Soon-Yi: “I started the relationship with [wife Soon-Yi Previn] and I thought it would just be a fling. It wouldn’t be serious, but it had a life of its own. And I never thought it would be anything more. Then we started going together, then we started living together, and we were enjoying it. And the age difference didn’t seem to matter. It seemed to work in our favor actually. She enjoyed being introduced to many, many things that I knew from experience, and I enjoyed showing her those things.”
The age difference: “I’m 35 years older, and somehow, through no fault of mine or hers, the dynamic worked. I was paternal. She responded to someone paternal. I liked her youth and energy. She deferred to me, and I was happy to give her an enormous amount of decision making just as a gift and let her take charge of so many things.”
Whether Dylan Farrow’s accusations have affected the audiences for his films: “I would say no. I always had a small audience. People did not come in great abundance and they still don’t, and I’ve maintained the same audience over the years.” He adds that the speculation has “no meaning in the way I make movies, too. I never see any evidence of anything in my private life resonating in film.”
“I was paternal…” YA THINK? Throughout the old controversy with Mia, Mia maintained that Woody was Soon-Yi’s de facto step-father, although Soon-Yi later claimed that she had never thought of Woody that way. But the age dynamic never lies – of course he was paternal towards her. And of course their marriage has evolved into more of a caretaker-to-an-elderly-man sort of vibe. For what it’s worth, when Woody dies, my guess is that he leaves absolutely everything to Soon-Yi and their children. So she’ll be taken care of, if that counts.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, WENN.
Oh, my god, I’m physically nauseous. What I need to clear my head right now is brain bleach, but the green stuff will have to do.
That was my first reaction, too. I just want to hurl. So he basically admits that he was having sex with a minor. No words, no words.
Stepfather who seduces a minor. That’ revolting.
what’s offensive to me, he thought it was going to be a fling. He damaged a family and isolated Soon Yi from her siblings for what he thought was a fling. No words.
nikki, that stood out for me, too.
a “fling” with a teenage girl (who was essentially a step daughter!)…no wonder that scenario is in so many of his movies.
I KNEW I should not have clicked on this. There is so much WRONG with this man.
He feels so protected buy his disgusting stans in Hollywood that he can talk like this and use those words without feeling the slightest bit of shame or conviction. I don’t care what anyone has to say about Mia, THAT MAN IS GUILTY AND HE SHOULD BE IN JAIL.
He did’nt “seduce” the 14-15yr old adopted daughter of Mia Farrow. Mia found pornographic photos that Woody – her adopted step father- had taken of the girl. Seduce? Bleecchhchchch. I would have profound issues as well, if I was Mia, namely PTSD.
YES. Gross. Gross. Gross. One would think that in light of their history, that he would tread carefully with more measured responses. His response is just so blatantly crass.
Fulfilling every stereotype surrounding old men who shop for ‘asian mail-order brides’ since 1997. I can’t believe the attic of horrors that is his mind, nor what he thinks is ok to pull down and show people.
I agree with everyone. My god. Does he think this is an acceptable explanation? I’m lost… All it’s done is make him more repulsive, more despicable, creepier, more lascivious and more salacious.
Forgive me, but I can’t wait until he carks it.
The line that got to me was about how he thought it would just be a “fling.” So you – creepy, dirty old man – decided to have a fling with your step daughter and you thought it would be just A-OK. A fling that would end and then what? Thanksgiving would be awkward? Ugh…
This.
The narcissism is genuinely frightening.
Lambs screaming
@starrywonder lambs screaming! Love it.
Me too. Ouch.
yeah, EW was my reaction too.
he was “paternal” and she “deferred” to him. 100 kinds of gross.
” was happy to give her an enormous amount of decision making just as a gift…”
How kind he is, eh? This man is so gross, I can’t even put it into words how gross he is.
gross pretty much sums it up.
Sarah and Nicki, absolutely agree with you both. The fact that he took this girl’s life away over what he thought would be a “fling” is beyond revolting. As GNAT said below, there are no words strong enough to describe this man. Ughhhh.
I’m with Nikki. I can’t get past his line of thinking. He was in his 50s at that time and thought it okay to have a “fling” with the minor daughter of his long-time girlfriend whom he had children with. He may not have been a father-figure to her at that time, but she was definitely his children’s sibling by all accounts. He has no idea how warped he is. I’m sure he treats her well, but what he did to that family is incomprehensible and he never got in trouble for it. Nothing worse than seeing a criminal living large and happy. HURL!!!
I am old enough to remember all this happening, and having him say it was supposed to be “just a fling” makes it all manner of worse. That’s revolting. Who the h*ll starts a “fling” with their partner’s teenage daughter??
“Who the h*ll starts a “fling” with their partner’s teenage daughter??”
a sick sob does.
The headline was bad enough, but to straight up say he thought his relationship with a teenager was going to be a fling? WTF.
Omg I couldn’t get past the first paragraph. “…just a fling” he’s so gross!
He’s a vile old sleazebag. Two other things I recall About the case. Mia supposedly found out about it when she came upon nude photos of soon yi taken by Allen. And Andre Previn – such a talented musician- wanted to punch Allen. While Previn’s relationship with Mia had broken up, soon yi was still his adopted daughter and he was disgusted.
Yeah, the “fling” bit really got me. If he said he knew she was the love of his life, that he knew his actions would have consequences but he had to follow his heart, etc., I would still be utterly repulsed, but ever so slightly less.
He disgusts me. all these disgusting men and women who perv on the inexperienced.
he is icchy.like bill cosby icchy
Gross
Obscene on so many levels that it enrages me.
AND…there we have it, folks. The dirty, senile old coot rat-tat-tatted himself out. His movies are self reflexive and semiautobiographical, and he’s a neurotic, twisted, dirty old man. BUT…he sure lived out a lot of nasty men’s fantasies.
Gosh the truth is finally pouring out of the ’80s/’90s like a sieve.
‘senile old coot rat-tat-tatted’
I’ve just proposed to this excerpt.
Oh God, I just threw up in my mouth….
+ 1
Vomit
I wish I could think of words more degrading than filthy disgusting misogynistic perverted entitled overrated old pos. I wish no one would ever go to his movies again. He gave her a gift? He abused a child. I loathe the sight of his ugly smug face.
Well said. I was so stunned by “paternal”, that all I could think of was MFPOS.
The whole excerpt is shocking in the sense that you’re like “holy shit does this man really not hear what he’s saying?” or maybe he’s so arrogant and delusional that he simply doesn’t care. Really vomitous.
I don’t think it’s arrogance or delusion – he knows for a fact that nothing is going to harm his career or standing in the film industry at this point. His own experience of the last 20+ years bears that out. Nothing of lasting consequence happened when these crimes originally occurred and nothing of any consequence happened a few years ago when the interest in these stories was renewed (and it really was just renewed interest – other than Dylan writing her story in her own words there was no new information revealed). Barring a Cosby-level reveal of new documents or evidence nothing is going to hurt him, including his own words.
“he knows for a fact that nothing is going to harm his career or standing in the film industry at this point” and the rest of your comment–you wouldn’t describe that as arrogance?
I guess I usually think of arrogance as someone being overconfident without reason or back-up, but yes, his attitude and words do demonstrate a sense of immunity from consequence so you’re right. A better point on my part would have been to say that if he’s arrogant his peers have given him the continued validation to be so.
He is so vile that he seems to have no qualms in confirming the horror that we all have suspected for years! There is no word sick, twisted, and disgusting enough for this man, and all this “paternal” talk makes the jacked up age dynamics in all of his films and the young actresses he considers “muses” even more disturbing than they already are. I hope this interview has some impact on his status in the industry, but I doubt it.
That’s cause much like that other POS Cosby, he doesn’t think he did anythong wrong. I’m sure the fact he’s still considered Hollywood Royalty has cemented his belief.
GNAT, no combination of all the applicable words running in an infinite continuum into the corners of the universe and back again would ever suffice in describing the utter depravity inside this spec of a human.
Well, we can all go home. Mia Girl just said it all. I hope you dropped the mic after that one.
You are so right.
Testify
clapping, mia girl.
I am curious what the interviewers response was. Uncomfortable silence? Or did they kiss his ass in gratitude that he was there at all? I am not liking NPR for this interview- they asked the Soon Yi questions as if they just referred to a normal relationship, not one where an old man seduced his barely adult step daughter. And the questions about child molestation. What was the tone here? Reading it makes it sound like they were asking about a tax evasion violation. I don’t want to listen to the interview myself, too sickening.
I wonder what his adopted daughters think of him. I still can’t erase the images of those full body hugs he gave them. Those poor girls looked repulsed.
I refuse to watch any movie made by this disgusting piece of human being.
I totally agree with you. Boycotting his movies will leave practically no audience for his films in the future.
I think pedophile would be the appropriate word. I’ve seen casual pictures of him with his adopted daughter (the one he adopted with Soon-Yi) out and about which leave no doubt in my mind that he is abusing her sexually. The look in her hopeless eyes is very haunting. The fact that he is able to do this and get away with it is absolutely horrifying.
BARF
“I never see any evidence of anything in my private life resonating in film.”
Huh? Woody needs even THICKER glasses.
“I’m 35 years older, and somehow, through no fault of mine or hers, the dynamic worked. I was paternal. She responded to someone paternal”
In the context of everything, that she was an ipso facto adopted daughter by extension thru his relationship with Mia, and that there were allegations of sexual abuse from his own bio daughter, the bile not only rose in my throat, but hit my nasal passages, as well. He lets his secrets slip out like an unintended silent stinky fart.
“I never see any evidence of anything in my private life resonating in film.”
Obviously not the worst wrong thing he’s said or done, but certainly one of the most disingenuous, I agree. And since he seems to respect his artistic work more than he does many human beings, I’m surprised he would make such a public, blatantly false assessment of his work.
I wonder if he is just beginning to lose it altogether?
No idea. But I’m pretty sure he has already said in interviews that the themes in his films resonate strongly in his own life.
Can he just drop dead already? Seriously. He’s disgusting and entitled in ways I can’t even articulate. It makes me feel physically ill when I see people my age (early/mid 20s) just REVERING him for his earlier films when he has always, always been a sexual predator. He deserves to die in obscurity.
I think he’s slipping in his old age. Sex offenders never feel remorse for their crimes, so I think now that he is 80 he is just speaking truthfully and forgetting to hide his deviant behavior. Plus, what does he care? He’s 80. He got away with it. It’s done.
“I never see any evidence of anything in my private life resonating in film.”
I think you are taking this out of context of what was asked. He was asked about whether Dylan’s accusations affected his movies audience. I think he was saying that anything that happens in his personal life doesn’t reflect on who views or likes his movies. I wouldn’t say he is going crazy or senile, at least when it comes to his movies, I think he pretty accurate on that. I think he has had a pretty standard set of people who like his movies and go to them regardless of the stories about him.
Still hardly the most controversial or interesting thing in the interview even if I misinterpreted him, I agree with you on that.
He started with the Dylan element specifically, but ended on a generalization “I never see any evidence of anything in my private life resonating in film.” It wasn’t controversial, it just was a blatant lie, or severe myopia, when compared to other interviews he gave and parallels to his own philosophies and actions, clearly (mirrored) autobiographical in his films.
Of course he’ll leave everything to his wife. That’s the law. A surviving spouse always inherits everything when the the other spouse dies. A will only comes into play if both spouses die at the same time or when the last spouse dies.
You better make sure your spouse understands what you want done with your stuff, and that you trust them to do it.
That’s completely untrue. The laws of inheritance are different in every state. A person could have individually owned property that they leave to persons other than their spouse in their will. My will is made out to leave specific items and bequests to various persons from my personal items and personal accounts. My husband will not be receiving everything.
Yeah, that’s not true. While all states in the US have laws preventing someone from disinheriting a spouse entirely (unless a valid prenup is in place), the statutory share to which a surviving spouse is entitled varies from state to state. It’s usually a third, sometimes half, and I don’t know of any state in which it’s 100%.
It’s half in MA.
I mean, come on. People who have children from prior marriages, disabled siblings, charities they care about, etc. do not lose their rights just because they get married. Also, married or not, dying without a will is a very, very bad idea.
Right, so to follow his logic, all daughters should marry their fathers? Is this guy for real?
And he “gifted” her with decision-making?
He should really just stfu – and to think that he’s still some sort of a god in Hollyweird….
Because women everywhere want a paternal husband.
Ewwwwwww! Creep. I am so grossed out.
That was the part that seemed the creepiest to me. He’s pretending he was some kind of benevolent guide, showing a young, impressionable woman the ways of the world. Ick.
Indeed. How generous of him to let his wife make some decisions all on her own! The fact that she (according to him anyway) also views this as a “gift” speaks volumes about her state of mind.
Well Mia did allege that Soon Yi wasn’t altogether there mentally. This was said during the custody hearings for the younger kids. Mia said he took advantage of a mentally handicapped person.
This is the part I found the vilest! To me this read like ‘yes, I have groomed myself the perfect subservient wife, straight out of every creeps fantasy’. I will never watch anything by him ever again.
“I was paternal.”
AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH
*endless screaming*
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
LOL
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH
*breathes*
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH….
What every woman wants to hear from her husband: “I felt paternal, that’s what attracted me to you”.
Also the way he is holding her arm in that last pic is ….
I know, it made me really uncomfortable. She looks like she’s resisting the urge to deck him with her purse.
@Kay, who wrote: “Also the way he is holding her arm in that last pic is …. ”
That’s exactly how George Clooney holds Amal’s arm on the red carpet as well.
@Emma, the two situations are hardly comparable! Why compare apples to oranges? Are you an apologist for him?
Emma, I don’t believe the two situations-how one spouse poses with another on the red carpet-are relevant or comparable in this case!
I imagine most wives would also be charmed to hear that Initially their husband thought they were just going to be a fling.
Yes, Woody very paternal. What a creep.
I was born in the late 80’s, so all this drama was so “before my time” that I already loved many of Allen’s films before I found out anything about his personal life (when I was a teen it was too old of a scandal to be discussed in the tabloids). It caused me a major internal struggle on the topic of separating art from an artist. And this interview genuinely made me sick – he started a relationship with his children’s sister thinking it was a fling? He messed with a young girl’s life, separating her from her mother, siblings, entire family without taking it seriously? And he admits he felt paternal to her – wasn’t his line of defense based around the fact that he never really felt like Mia’s husband and Soon-Yi’s step-father? What a vile and disgusting creep he is! I can’t comprehend why people like him won’t just shut up and keep digging bigger holes for themselves. Do people not hate him enough already? He had to go and remind everyone why we hate him?
Yes, NBM. Here’s some light reading to get you up to speed:
http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/1992/11/farrow199211
http://nypost.com/2014/02/08/woody-mia-a-greek-tragedy/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2557270/Mia-Farrows-whistleblower-friend-speaks-reveals-Woody-Allens-obsession-strange-intensity-daughter.html
So The NY Post, The Daily Fail, and a puff piece on Mia Farrow in Vanity Fair are all you will need to become suitably misinformed on this topic.
@chelsea Right. If you pointed the person to the court records on Dylan’s case and the original CPS records, then I am convinced this person would come to the well-reasoned, logical conclusion of sheer revulsion and sadness the rest of us reached months, if not decades ago. Please do.
Thanks, but Pinky (I assume by “this person”, you meant me), I don’t need to be pointed to any links, because I reached the high levels of revulsion long time ago. I didn’t write anywhere in my comment that I’m still not familiar with the details of this case. What I wrote is that when I was a teenager, over a decade ago, I had no idea about Woody’s personal life, because it was not the popularly discussed topic and I found out about all this when Annie Hall and Manhattan were already in my favorite movie list. Then I struggled with myself if I should separate a film-maker, who made these movies, from the creep who would later do all this pervy stuff. But yes, I sadly know about Dylan’s accusations and the sad details of his marriage.
@NBM, I feel the same way. I was in high school/college when this mess happened and was too busy to really notice or care. His movies are sentimental to me for various reasons and I struggle with it. This interview disgusts me.
He doesn’t see anything of his life represented in the movies he makes? Any “artist” who says something like that is either completely delusional to the point of crazy or a liar to the point of crazy or both.
Wasn’t Soon-Yi about eight when Woody and Mia got together? So, basically, he was doing her mother(and making a baby)until Soon-Yi more or less “came of age”. I used to be first in line at his movies. This is one audience member he didn’t maintain.
I really think Woody is a great artist and thinker, and that like so many other great artists and thinkers, the guy is a fucking freak.
I agree.
I’ve been slammed for saying this before, but I think both Woody Allen and Mia Farrow spectacularly failed Soon-Yi. She was on the receiving end of the most sexist, racist and vile pile-on when this blew up and took the brunt of the public outrage.
Why should you be slammed?
It was in the thread about Rowan Farrow’s paternity. Some Mia fans were there and it was unpleasant.
We’ve all been slammed, somewhere, welcome to the club…literally a club.
Thanks Kiddo. I’ll bring scones to our next meeting.
Well, Hawkeye, I think you are right. Obviously, Mia missed this til it was too late. And as for that vile, disgusting child-molesting piece of whiny crap…well he groomed her, he made her a psychological prisoner, and he doesn’t care what anyone thinks. He has gotten away with it like so many other men. BARF.
I agree. When it blew up Mia’s reaction was to treat Soon-yi as a rival, not as a daughter who needed protecting. Mia’s screwed up too.
I always wonder what Soon Yi’s point of view in all of this must be. Her early pre-adoption childhood was brutal. Then she was adopted by a woman who seems to have her own problems which I won’t bother analyzing.
How can anyone give sixteen children all of the care and attention they actually need? How much would anger would she have to feel toward her mother to run off with her mother’s long time partner? How emotionally barren would her life have to be for someone like Woody Allen to seem like a viable option?
I think this is a massively unhealthy relationship on every level, and I feel pity for Soon Yi. She needed attention desperately, and Allen was probably the first person to offer it to her. As for Allen, I think he recognized her need and loneliness and took full advantage. This is what pedophiles often do– they look for vulnerable children who do not have a real support system, who don’t have trusted adults to turn to.
Miss Jupitero, very compassionate and reasoned comment.
Gotta agree, Miss Jupitero, very compassionate way of looking at it.
I’m struggling to find compassion for him, though, even though I really want to be compassionate and feel like it’s a personal failing if I’m not.
My mind keeps grasping for something like the possibility that there was no grooming going on nor actual underage abuse, but the way you just elaborated on what could have been going on in Soon Yi’s heart and mind makes me feel worse about the situation for her- even if he didn’t sexually abuse a minor it’s absolutely, terrifyingly sad.
Eeeewww, gross. Paternal. *covers mouth with hand and lurches to the toilet*
You nasty.
His hand on her arm like that….
You can see the imprints from his fingers…
Yeah it’s like, hold on a little tighter there buddy. I don’t think she’s fully gotten the message that you’re her handler.
Handler is exactly it. How he graciously “lets” her have some part in decision making. That is classic abuser: “Look how great I’m being, I’m letting you make all these decisions and only reminding you a few times a day how I could pull the leash taut if I chose. Look how much I love you! Why are you crying?!”
Yikes. She ‘defers’ to him but he gives her the ‘gift’ of making a decision. Still love his older films (ironically Mia is consistently fantastic in some of them), but …Yikes.
I think Woody’s trolling at this point.
I think you may be right. The originator of insanely navel-gazing film making doesn’t think his films are autobiographical? And he is ‘paternal’ in his sexual relationship when he was accused of being sexual in a biological paternal relationship…ick though, not fun-trolling like mimif.
Yeah trolling or early onset dementia is impacting him like a truth serum. Either way, the guy makes my skin crawl.
He’ 79. It isn’t early onset. It’s just who he is; a slimy, disgusting pedophile.
Yep me too. And I don’t think Soon Yi is the victim, NOW that everyone makes her to be. I have a feeling she lets him think he is in charge. And I have a strange feeling she is pretty twisted in her own right. Her childhood alone before Mia with Mia and then with Woody? He may have found his muse or his partner. The pics with his now daughters out there? ugh he is just creepy. I like some of his movies but in no way do I think he is a genius with film making. I think Polanski is better but he was or is a POS too. So nope, no thanks.
I watched a documentary on Woody Allen last year. It was interesting to see Soon Yi. I found her to be quite vocal and was shocked. We all have a perception that she is meek and she is clearly not. I do believe she has a lot of emotional baggage. Didn’t Mia claim she was “slow”?
The reason aliens have not contacted the human race is that they have seen the media broadcasts of Woody Allen, Trump, Cosby etc. The aliens decided to bypass Earth. The human race is just too messed up.
Woody Allen needs to crawl back under a rock
Your comment just made me think of a Calvin & Hobbes cartoon I just saw last night wherein one of them says that their proof of intelligent life outside this planet is that the intelligent life has stayed away from earth.
Seems a common sentiment these days and one I wholeheartedly agree with.
Calvin and Hobbes!! 🐯🏃🏼my childhood self just gave you a high 5
He’s grabbing her in just about every one of those photos. Clingy much? Trying to hold on to your lost youth?
Free Soon Yi!
Ew.
I admit I don’t know all the details (way too young) but I just don’t believe a normal mentally healthy man chooses a girl in ‘that’ position to romance.
It’s shades of Lolita and gross.
What not to say when you slept with an under-aged girl and are accused of child moleststion. My head just about exploded.
Somehow his PR people think this is the way to start normalizing it. Is Soon Yi tired of being in the shadows? Is she going to commence work on a project of her own soon, and this is getting her feet wet for being in the spotlight? Whatever it is, there is some reason for this sudden appearance and willingness to talk about it….
Who told him this was a good idea?! And I’m one of those people who can’t not love some of the movies. (However I refuse to pay for them now, I’ll stream them somehow.) But for real, this is so patronizing. And really doesn’t show her as an equal in their relationship. I’ve dated older men and enjoyed that “you have more life experience” dynamic, but I was always an equal. That’s important. Meanwhile this just makes me gag.
And the medal of the year for being such an amazing paternal figure goes to…………..drum roll…………………………………………the adoptive dad of a beautiful young, naive and trusting girl.
That is just so wrong…on so many levels 🙁
Well, I just found a new way to lose weight. There is no sense eating anything for the rest of the day after reading the comment Woody’s comments. God, I feel sick….
I don’t care about Soon being taken care of she’s just as sick to me. I just hope the daughters they have have been ok.
he reveals he thought sex with his girlfriend’s teenaged daughter would just be a “fling”….
awkward.
This is what struck me. He violates a child. He started sleeping with her knowing that it was a fling. It meant nothing to him. She meant nothing to him. He cared nothing about the damage he was causing her. I can’t even express how morally corrupt he is.
IIRC the way Mia found out was that she found nude photos Woody had taken of her daughter. I just hope he left his and Soon-yi’s daughters alone.
I’m just waiting for those daughters to write a book! You know this perv was up to no good with them!
Ugh! Look at that picture of them on the red carpet in which he is gripping her upper arm…like when a man grips the back of his partner’s neck…gahh!! Screams control and abuse to me.
That’s some sick sh*t right there. Disgusting old pedo
Nothing like a fling with your stepchild. This is so disturbing.
That’s sick. Is something going with Soon yi mentally? I notice Woody is always latched on to her. I thought it was because he’s old but I think it could be something else.
What an ego. His unwielding arrogance disgusts me!
Isn’t Soon-yi(gorgeous name btw) reportedly “special”? I’m guessing her child-like disposition is the attraction here…Eww
It is rumored she may have a learning disability, but I don’t believe anything has been confirmed.
She was a sophomore in college when they became a couple. She went on to get a masters degree and teach school for a few years. She seems happy with her life. If you ever watch the documentary Wildman Blues you will see her bossing him around and teasing him constantly.
agree. sublimation right there.
So, he basically just confirmed everything that he had been denying all these years…He just wanted a fling with a young girl, he was a paternal figure to Soon-yi, and he runs her life, except when he “allows” her to make some decisions! What a perv!!!!!
I wish I hadn’t read this crap.
Are his movies really THAT good for the film industry to justify continuously letting him get away with this s**t?!
At best he’s a pervert and skeeve, at worst he’s a pedophile. And I happen to believe he’s the latter.
This is precisely the issue which most stuns me. I grew up in a pathologically naive family environment, but never, ever, even when I was eight years old — before anything scandalous had surfaced from within the Farrow-Allan “family” — did Allan’s work register as somehow superior to anything being produced in Hollywood. That people have to reconcile a conflict between the “artist” and the man is beyond my comprehension. Of course, there is the extremely obvious thread of a (quasi-)ingenue who falls for the neurotic older man (if one can permit what I think is an abuse of the term “neurotic,”) but it was his equally neurotic rendering of ordinary, adult women that registered as extremely narrow, and, when considering his entire oeuvre, blatantly offensive that I cannot understand the affection with which people regard his work. His talent has been grossly overestimated from the moment he set out to become known.
Ew.
Just a fling? He thought it was totally fine to have just a fling with his girlfriend’s daughter, who from what I’ve read he sort of helped raised?
I fear for his adoptive daughters with Soon Yi.
Sick.
This man is egotistical sociopath. He thinks the world revolves around him and I’m sure he requires everyone around him be the center of his universe.
The reason he picks women so young,naive and vunarable is so they would never dared to question his genious as oppose to a more older, worldly woman who has her own identity and would reject his need for blind adulation.
The relationship between mother and daughter has forever been destroyed. Soon not only lost her mother but siblings as well. Her whole entire support system. I’m sure after all these years she must have reflected on her life and wonder what it would have been like if she stayed.
Irrational Man has bombed and he was stupid enough to think that this interview would get him sympathy and a*s is seats. Ummmmm…no.
I feel so badly for this woman. We have a saying in Korean that beans come where beans are planted, and in a lot of ways Mia did her no favors.
From what I’ve read she is challenged intellectually and that she is emotionally immature. If that is true it makes his crime even worse. He is a very sick, disgusting person.
I’m glad I believe in karma. Eventually he will get what he deserves, whether in this life or the next one.
I saw that documentary following him in Wild Man Blues, and she didn’t come off intellectually challenged at all. And she could actually be bossy to him.
Everything about them from the beginning on is so disturbing, but they seem to have worked out as a marriage for whatever reason. This interview compounds his creepiness even more.
I think the way she grew up on the streets and then being adopted by Mia and essentially as time went on being lost in the shuffle as Mia kept on acquiring kids led to her being an emotionally distant person.
@SamiHami if I recall correctly, those were some of the smears against Soon-Yi, that she wasn’t intelligent (and worse). I believe she has a graduate degree, and I agree with Jayna, being emotionally distant is a coping mechanism as well as the result of a difficult childhood and young adulthood.
I didn’t realize those things were said as a smear against her. I can’t recall where I read it, but it was when all the publicity came out from his last scandal, when another daughter came out against him, accusing him of abusing her as a child. Could well be that what I read was incorrect.
IIRC, Soon-Yi had been abandoned by her mother, who was physically abusive, as a child and had (literally) lived alone on the streets in Korea before she was adopted as an older child by Mia. No education, no normal interaction with loving adults and siblings. So, rather than what we typically think of as learning disabilities, it was that she did not experience typical developmental milestones and was deeply traumatized as a toddler/young child, in addition to needing tutoring to catch-up with her school peers. Supposedly, she and Mia didn’t bond well after the adoption, which doctors blamed on the biological mother’s abuse, and that was offered by Mia’s camp as a reason why she was vulnerable to Allen. Some subsequent stories/secondary reports have twisted that to mean that she was permanently disabled, but I think the point was much more subtle/nuanced: not that she couldn’t go to college or teach as an adult, but that she was emotionally vulnerable in a way that is specific to kids who’ve been through serious trauma.
See this, which is definitely a Mia’s camp story, but I don’t think the description of Soon-Yi’s early childhood has been disputed by Allen or Soon-Yi, either: http://nypost.com/2012/01/08/the-quiet-victory-of-mia-the-kids-woody-left-behind/
Additionally, I’ve heard some anecdotal stories about traumatized children from orphanages who do act out sexually in inappropriate ways once they’re adopted because they’ve been sexually abused previously. I’m no expert, but it does make me side-eye the Allen/Soon-Yi nude photos story all the more.
http://www.livescience.com/11007-dark-side-adoptions-parents-kids-bond.html
And
http://nypost.com/2013/10/12/for-adoptive-families-love-cant-always-conquer-all/
The first thing I think of when I see these two is that scene in the documentary Wild Man Blues where Soon-Yi is amazed by how fancy their hotel suite is and Woody refers to her as “this kid who was eating out of garbage pails in Korea”
He makes her sound as if she was one of those young desperate overseas mail order brides doesn’t he?
Eating out of garbage pails, eh probably not. But Korea at the time was still very disadvantaged and there was a lot of poverty. By the time I was born it had started to come around. In the early 80s there was a large emigration out before the economy recovered.
He’s gripping her like that because that type of photograph–particularly at events–is literally called a “grip and grin.”
Whats worse marrying your step daughter or thinking it would be “just a fling”? keeping it casual, you know.
seriously what the hell…
Rumor at the time is Frank called Mia up and asked if she wanted him to take care of the situation. I don’t know if it’s true, but it is such a lovely piece of gossip.
Can’t add anything that everyone has said.
I used to love his old movies; can’t watch them anymore.
I have enjoyed some of his movies before I knew the whole story. I remember reading an article about his bio. daughter being abused and I believe it now. This man is a pedophile. I hope to God he never touched his youngest kids.
“I was paternal”. No surprise here. That’s why a lot of young women marry men who are much much older then themselves. In this case, Woody was LITERALLY her father figure. But as it goes in such marriages, doesn’t he know the day is going to come when she gets tired of sleeping with “Daddy?” Let her take charge of what??? What to eat for dinner? And would anyone be surprise if she was secretly “getting some” from someone a lot younger on the side?
While I think its gross, maybe I have been desensitized or something in that I feel like they have been “together” for more than 20 years total so who cares. So the relationship works for them right now. I find it interesting that he is still making movies and actors are lining up to be in his movies. They would not likely condone that behavior to some regular person, but Woody gets a pass if it will get them awards? I liken Mia to a cat lady who collected kids instead of cats, the crazy is still there though, never knew what her appeal was, but then again, i don’t see the appeal in Woody either.
Im sorry but that like saying while he’s been abusing her for 20 year so who cares or she was rape 20 years ago so who cares.
The problem is that Soon Yi doesn’t seem to have developed anything career wise or education wise. No uni degree. No jobs. Nothing. To me this looks as if Woody married a dependent child and made sure she remained a dependent child. His comments that giving her control over the household were a gift and not a natural thing for an equal partner suggests that he didn’t see her as an equal partner.
Posters further up say she has a Master’s, and that she was teaching at some point.
Like the innuendo out in print regarding her supposed mental disabilities, I really have to wonder at the source (which has effectively kept these rumours going for over two decades.)
Mia really holds a grudge.
@ Totally Biased
And some other poster said that Previn would have a Phd. Whatever.
Most Phd people can be found on the internet because … academic papers like Phd papers are published. So if there is no paper on the internet there is no Phd. And there is not Master degree either.
Soon Yi Previns Imdb page mentions her studying at two universities but it doesn’t mention any degrees – that usually means the person did not graduate.
…he evidently doesn’t give a f*** any more (if he ever did).
My toughts too. By “parental” he means they never had sexual intercourses, he just watched her close . Soon.Yi is lesbian, imo.
I remember this when it hit as I am a bit older than Kaiser, people did think it was disgusting but the big thing was Dylan and the abuse. Some thought Mia was behind Dylan’s accusation, and when it didn’t proceed criminally it kind of died down and Soon Yi was not really the focus because of Dylan. When Soon Yi was the topic it was stressed that she was mentally challenged, but I think that has been proven to be wrong as she has a PhD, and no proof of this, and I feel bad for her on that end. As someone said she kind of received the bad publicity the most, when it should have been Woody.
I have to admit the reaction now just seems so much stronger than then. The power of the Internet. Not sure what I think as this is a stupid interview by him on so many levels, and he probably really shouldn’t talk about Soon Yi, Dylan or Mia, because there is no way to justify it. Still I really didn’t think Soon Yi would marry him and stay married to him for 18 years wow is just all I got to say.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0696661/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
Soon Yi Previns imdb page doesn’t mention a Phd let alone ANY KIND OF university degree.
It says:
“Attended Marymount School Of New York, a college preparatory, Catholic day school for girls, and briefly, Rider University in New Jersey. Also attended Drew University in New Jersey.”
There is no degree given so I suppose she doesn’t have any. Also there is no mentioning of any kind of professional job / career whatsoever.
Love how 20yrs later he still takes no ownership. He’s the same as Bill Cosby to me. Step father, Moms friend, Moms partner, Neighbor… whatever – you were a father figure at the very least and misused your power and sex with your then partners daughter. Not criminal but morally wrong. And with this “Paternal” play, makes me believe he did touch Dylan inappropriately. He had no restraint over his inhibitions and violating Mia’s kids. He’s a predator in her home.
Maybe Cosby, Allen and Polanski can start a club. Ugh.
Don’t forget Uncle Terry.
I wonder what Woody’s children will say once they are no longer financially dependent on him.
Î have never seen a Woody Allen movie – he always gave me a creepy, pervy vibe. Really happy about that now.
What a disgusting person. Why in the world is he so popular? Yeah, let’s give awards to the admitted child molester.
Revolting.
I’ve never seen a WA movie either! I always thought he was creepy looking and none of his movies interested me. My ex-bf wanted to watch one once and I said no way. This was before this debacle happened.
“I also think Mia had and has some profound issues too.”
Kaiser, thanks for saying this; Woody is no Saint but neither is Mia.
The outcome or consequences of Woody’s issues and Mia’s issues is quite different, though and should be mentioned.
Woody: potential sexual predator preying on children / child-like women.
Mia: ???
“She deferred to me, and I was happy to give her an enormous amount of decision making just as a gift and let her take charge of so many things.”
I don’t even have words how disturbing all this is. a gift! she gets to make decisions. what a gift.
He’s such an oddball and freak. I think what he means by the odd term “gift” is something he said years ago in an interview.
He had never really lived with his women before, had his own place. But he and Soon Yi eventually moved in together and was surprised at how happy he is. He said they like to do things for each other that makes them happy. He said he gets up very, very early in the morning and exercises, takes the kids to school, and then is in his own world writing all day, if he’s not directing one. He said she loves to run the house and all things involved with that and the kids’ school activities and even takes over checking up on all the accountant’s figures, etc. He said that’s what she enjoys doing. He said it’s the first time he was never involved with an actress or was with someone that cared nothing about that world, but that surprisingly it is why it has worked out for them. Because everything she does allows him to focus on what he loves and she’s fine with that.
So I guess his gift is he turned over control of their home and decision-making and running it in that regard, as he was always very OCD. Woo-hoo. What a guy.
Still sounds very odd to me, “gift.” It”s his wife, supposedly his partner.
I blame the people who keep watching his damn movies. Can’t you find some other pseudo intellectual films to entertain you? Stop supporting this creep.
+1 Plus actors/actresses who support his movies
I’ve always gotten the vibe from him as someone who thought “if I marry my victim, it’s not rape.” And I think she was sort-of brainwashed/controlled by him which is why statutory rape is illegal in the first place, even if the victim “consents.”
But what is REALLY mind-boggling is how he was ever allowed to adopt a child after that. At the very minimum, he’s shown that he doesn’t consider non-biological children to be “his” kids.
So basically Woody Allen found an eternal child in looks and brains and found one in his step-daughter and fucked her up under her mother’s nose and then married her.
And no, a college degree isn’t that impressive when you are from a family who has the means to buy you any kind of help and tutors and ghostwriters [sic!]. She has never had any kind of working career in any kind of job nor profession. She is a child in many ways.
She deferred to me, and I was happy to give her an enormous amount of decision making just as a gift and let her take charge of so many things.
That statement sums up all I need to know about this turdblossom.
No. Just nope. #Rebuke it Ra.
He is disgusting on so many levels, I have no words.
He needs to go down like The Cos.
“paternal” “fling” “a gift”.
FU Woody. EFF YOU!
Why was he allowed to have more children? He already had abused this woman as a minor.
No doubt even Mia has deep issues and part of all that drama was her fault too.. BUT he really is gross. Paternal? You don’t say! With 35 years old difference there couldn’t be much more.
I believe he’s or was a pedophile, he lured his step-daughter, a teenage girl, and enjoyed teaching her stuff. Now, if you don’t call this creepy..
I didn’t realize he would be 80yo this year, omg!!
Ew, ew, a thousand times ew!
She was 19. Still a teenager but most definitely an adult which does not make Woody a predator. I wish people would actually read rather than obfuscate the truth.
I didn’t have time to read it all. How many children do they have?
The man condemns himself with the words out of his own mouth.
I am old enough to remember when the Woody Allen / Soon-Yi Previn scandal blew up. What he did was disgusting then, and it is disgusting now. Setting the allegations about Dylan entirely to one side, I have zero respect for Woody Allen as a result of his predatory sexual behavior towards Soon-Yi, and believe there is no place for him in a society that pretends to care about safeguarding vulnerable minors against sexual abuse. Which, obviously, our society doesn’t, as long as the perpetrator has a sufficient amount of money and social standing.
I have no idea what their marriage is like today — for Soon-Yi’s sake, I hope it’s a good one. Just because it started with a horrendous, mind-boggling selfish abuse of a position of trust, doesn’t mean they don’t have a functional and happy relationship now. However, none of that erases Woody Allen’s original moral violations, for which he remains completely unrepentant.
Also, I agree with Velvet, Crushed above that his talent as a filmmaker is and always has been wildly overrated. He is a navel-gazing, self-obsessed, unpleasantly neurotic individual with an unhealthy fixation on much younger women, and those qualities are thoroughly reflected in his work.
“I was paternal. She responded to someone paternal.”
Of course because you were a father figure to her, you dork! The whole thing makes me want to throw up.