Sad news: Mia Farrow’s daughter Lark, who had been ill for quite some time due to an undisclosed condition, passed away on Christmas day. She was 35 years old and the mother of two teenaged girls. Lark Previn was Mia’s first adopted daughter with then-husband Andre Previn. Mia adopted her along with her sister, Daisy, from Vietnam in 1973.
Lark Previn, the Vietnamese-born adopted daughter of Farrow and musician Andre Previn, died on Christmas Day, the medical examiner said Monday.
Lark Previn, 35, a mother of two girls, had been ailing for a decade. A cause of death was not released.
Her two daughters, Sara, 13, and Christine, 12, sat in the front row at her wake last night at a Brooklyn funeral home.
Robert Garcia, Previn’s live-in boyfriend, declined comment.
Neighbors in the couple’s Clinton Hill apartment building said she was somewhat reclusive and gave no hint that her mother was a celebrity.
“We never knew. She never let on,” said Lillian Rivera, 42, a neighbor. “She was a mystery.”
The young mom was obviously ailing and had grown skinny and lost most of her hair in recent months.
“It’s very sad,” the neighbor said.Lark Previn and her sister, Daisy, 34, were the first of Farrow’s multiethnic gaggle of adopted kids.
The two sisters first made headlines in 1991 when they were arrested for shoplifting underwear from a mall in Connecticut, near Farrow’s country home.
Mia Farrow and Andre Previn also adopted the Korean-born Soon-Yi Previn, who wound up marrying Woody Allen – the actress’ one-time companion – after a scandalous affair became public in 1992.
Farrow’s children mostly sided with her against Allen in their epic feud, which included child molestation accusations against the famed director.
How sad for Mia and her grandchildren! Imagine losing a loved one on Christmas day. It would make it hard to enjoy that day like everyone else from then on. Not only are you missing the person you lost, but you are marking Christmas as the day you lost them. Condolences to the family.
Mia Farrow is shown on 10/17/08 at “Free The Children’s National Me to We Day” in Toronto. Credit:
Robin Wong / PR Photos
Farrow is/was mother to ten kids, I believe, and many of the children she adopted were in ill health. She’s lost a few of them over the years (I’d bet Soon-Yi was the most devastating; too bad Allen wasn’t gay like Previn), but made their lives better for her care. And she was very private about it. She’s an odd bird, but a great person.
My prayers are with her and her grandchildren.
A silent prayer for all of them.
She’s nuttier than squirrel poop, but that’s not something I’d wish on ANYONE. 🙁
Just a technicality, but once the adoption process is complete, the child is considered ‘as if born to’ the adoptive parents.
While I understand the use of the term in the body of the article to clarify the background of the family, the word ‘adopted’ shouldn’t be used in the header, it should simply be “Mia Farrow’s Daughter” because that is who she was.
p.s. Oh yeah, and in light of my above comment, what Woody Allen committed was incest. Pure and simple.
What he did was perpetuate the sentiment of some that ‘adopted’ children aren’t ‘really’ a couple’s ‘own’ children so it’s okay. Uh, far from it. He violated the parent-child bond and he’s a piece of shit for it.
Baho, Mia Farrow adopted Soon-Yi with her previous husband, Andre Previn, not Woody Allen. Soon-Yi’s last name was Previn. By your definition, Woody was never Soon-Yi’s father, legally or otherwise. It’s still creepy, though.
How sad.
Agree, Baho, re the use of the word ‘adopted’ in the headline. It serves no purpose.
Thanks MSat, I overlooked that. But absolutely it’s still creepy/pervy/immoral etc. because he was a father figure (and he’s Woody Allen, LOL…eeewwww).
I have three daughters from my first husband.
If my present husband, their step Father, (who helped raise them from the age 5 years on) left me to marry one of them, I consider that to be a huge betrayal and yes, incest. Allen is a pig plain and simple.
My condolences to Mia Farrow and her family.
i admire the way mia adopted children from bad situations and gave them a loving home without selling their photos to every magazine in existence. she is a private person and i really respect that. my condolences to her family on the death of lark.
and yeah, i think it can be considered incest, too. he was a father figure to soon-yi since she was a child and then had sex with her when she was barely legal. that is just creepy and icky.
According to IMDB, It looks like Lark had aids. It says she & her husband got threw dirty tattoo needles. Very very sad!! My prayers go out.
My deepest sympathy to Mia and family
on the loss of your daughter Lark.
I lost my 95 year old Aunt Rose from
Norfolk, Ct on Christmas Eve.
“once the adoption process is complete, the child is considered ‘as if born to’ the adoptive parents.”
Tell that to the kid’s DNA. The phrase you “quote” is for legal purposes only (unless a birth parent not notified of the adoption contests it, then all bets are off). That’s why the term “birth mother” and “birth father” exist.
It is a term of clarification and an accurate one, it is in no way offensive, and MSat’s use of it was perfectly appropriate. Why do people have to nitpick every single word based on their own emotional response regardless of fact? Jeez!
And @Dan– so sorry for your loss 🙁
@WTF: It is indeed a legal term which hasn’t filtered to down to penetrate some very thick craniums in terms of how some people regard adopted children.
Would anyone ever refer to Nicole Ritchie as ‘Lionel Ritchie’s Adopted Daughter’? No. It was used in the title as a label with no purpose to the story.
And if I “quote” something, it’s obvious I’ve quoted it so there’s no need to put quotations around “quote.” It implies I’m misleading people and it’s not appreciated.
And it’s not my own “emotional” response. My ex of 7 years was adopted. I’ve many adopted friends and a family member. So I’m not talking out of my ass or my emotions here. They’ve told me how they feel about the terminology.
The sense among a lot of people is that adopted children aren’t somehow their parents’ “real” children. That’s what I’m disputing by mention of the word in the title. And of course, Allen’s atrocious behaviour which people excuse because oh-she’s-only-adopted-so-that’s okay.
A very dear friend of mine was sexually abused as a child by someone very close to the family. Part of the reason was because the ped’s rationale was “well, it’s not as if he was their real child.”
So, yeah, I correct my earlier remark: Is this emotional enough for you?
I have no emotional investment in adoption, but I find it in poor taste to constantly act like Royale Tenenbaum and point out that someone is adopted.
I would also like to extend my sympathies to Lark Previn’s family, including her father Andre Previn. I know he’s not as famous as Mia Farrow, but it doesn’t make him any less deserving of condolences.
Baha, a family friend molesting a child doesn’t even come close to being applicable here.
And it would be perfectly appropriate to refer to Nicole Ritchie as Lionel’s adopted daughter. It’s an adjective, a descriptive word with zero negative connotation, except the one you are obviously applying in your own mind.
There are many, many, many, MANY more important things to get your panties in a bunch over.
However, we are in absolute agreement on this statement:
“…he was a father figure (and he’s Woody Allen, LOL…eeewwww).”
To Mairead: in musical circles, Previn is actually better known than his ex.
I find it to be in poor taste as well.
WTF~ I have many musician friends, who play in a wide variety of musical groups & travel in a wide variety of musical circles & I’ve never heard of him either. Don’t be so condescending.
Many condolences to Mia and her family, and to Dan, who posted a while back about the loss of his Aunt. These are horrible tragedies at any time of the year, but especially so around the holidays.
I often wondered if Woody’s indiscretions were generally overlooked because of his artistic achievements. Kind of like Allen Ginsberg and his NAMBLA membership.
Bodhi, my comment was in no way intended to be condescending. Your mates are obviously not from “a wide variety of musical circles” if they have not heard of this great composer and conductor, and I seriously doubt you polled your myriad of musician friends to reply so promptly.
Ignorance is not exactly a badge-earner, even on a gossip site, so stop taking offense on behalf of others, ‘kay?
Thxbye.
Ignorance is not exactly a badge-earner, even on a gossip site, so stop taking offense on behalf of others, ‘kay?
I’m perfectly happy in my “ignorance” & with my wide variety of musical friends. In fact, I’m off to hang out with a large handful of them right now. I’d much rather spend my NYE with them than trading idiotic barbs with some rude judgmental person across the globe.
Have a nice night & pleasant tomorrow.
Have a good time, Bodhi.
Best of luck to you in the New Year.
Take it easy WTF?!?!
It’s quite painfull to read at your constant attacks at other bloggers. You may be of the sarcastic type who pick others to get there attention and install a dialogue. But most of us like it calm and relaxed here.
PS : I’m not going to reply to you if you do, and I know my spelling is bad but I bet you’ve understood me