Soon-Yi Previn, in rare interview, defends Woody Allen from ‘unjust’ allegations

Soon-Yi Previn, the wife of Woody Allen and the estranged adopted daughter of Mia Farrow, has spoken publicly about her turbulent life for the first time in decades and is defending her husband from what she contends is unfair treatment in the #MeToo era.

New York magazine posted on its website Sunday night an in-depth article about Previn in which she talks of a troubled relationship with her mother and tells how she wound up getting into a relationship in 1992 with Allen, who was Farrow’s boyfriend at the time.

The 47-year-old says she and her mother clashed soon after Farrow adopted her and that her mother many times treated her like a maid. She denies being manipulated into a relationship by Allen.

Previn tells the magazine that she decided to speak out now because Dylan Farrow, who is an adopted daughter of Allen, is, in her view, unfairly accusing her husband of sexual abusing her when she was a child.

“I was never interested in writing a ‘Mommie Dearest,’ getting even with Mia — none of that,” Previn told the magazine. “But what’s happened to Woody is so upsetting, so unjust. [Mia] has taken advantage of the #MeToo movement and paraded Dylan as a victim. And a whole new generation is hearing about it when they shouldn’t.”

In separate statements posted on Twitter, Dylan Farrow and Ronan Farrow say their mother is a good parent and that the New York magazine article is inaccurate and unfair. Dylan Farrow also noted that the New York magazine piece’s author, Daphne Merkin, calls herself a longtime friend of Allen’s.

Ronan Farrow is an investigative journalist who has reported allegations that powerful men including Harvey Weinstein and Leslie Moonves have sexually abused women.

Mia Farrow and her agent could not be reached for comment.

The Associated Press does not typically name victims of sexual abuse, but Dylan Farrow has commented extensively on her allegations that Allen abused her in 1992 when she was 7 years old.