Soon-Yi Previn

Soon-Yi Previn (original name Oh Soon Hee) was born in South Korea. She was found in Seoul on February 12, 1976, as an abandoned child. She was placed temporarily in Maria's House, a local institution for abandoned children, while an effort was made to identify and locate her parents and relatives. When the search failed, she was transferred to St. Paul's Orphanage. The Seoul Family Court established a Family Census Register (legal birth document) on her behalf on December 28, 1976, with a presumptive birth date of October 8, 1970.[1][2][3][4] Previn has said that as a young child, she wandered the streets of Seoul starving and living out of trash cans.[4]

Prior to Soon-Yi's adoption, U.S. law only allowed two visas per family for international adoption. Her adoptive mother, Mia Farrow, requested that her friends Rose and William Styron ask U.S. Representative Michael Harrington to sponsor a bill to change this law. In 1977, the law was changed.[5] In 1978, Farrow and her then husband, André Previn, adopted Soon-Yi and took her to the United States.[6] Just after the adoption, Farrow wrote to Nancy Sinatra about Soon-Yi, stating: "Now she speaks English and is learning to read, write, play piano, dance ballet & ride a horse".[7] Farrow later said that at the time of her adoption, Soon-Yi spoke no known language and had learning disabilities.[8][6] Rose Styron is Soon-Yi's godmother.[8]

In 1979, Farrow's marriage to André Previn ended and she began a long-term relationship with Woody Allen.[9] Allen later adopted two of Farrow's adopted children: Dylan Farrow (also known as Eliza) and Moses Farrow. Mia Farrow also gave birth to Ronan Farrow in 1987.

Soon-Yi Previn attended Marymount School of New York and Rider University. She graduated from Drew University[10][11] and earned a master's degree in special education from Columbia University.[8][12]

During her teens, Previn made an uncredited appearance in Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), which starred Farrow. She appeared as an extra in Paul Mazursky's 1991 film Scenes from a Mall,[8] which starred Allen. Previn also appeared alongside Allen in the documentary Wild Man Blues (1997).

In 1992, Previn said that Farrow had physically abused her.[13] Previn's brother Moses Farrow has said that he too was physically abused by Farrow.[14]

Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn in Venice

Previn has said that Allen "was never any kind of father figure [to her]," and added that she "never had any dealings with him" during her childhood.[13] The findings of the judicial investigation carried out during the custody trial between Allen and Farrow determined that before 1990 they had rarely even spoken to each other.[15] According to Previn, her first friendly interaction with Allen took place when she was injured playing soccer during 11th grade and Allen offered to transport her to school. Following her injury, Previn began attending New York Knicks basketball games with Allen.[4]

In January 1992, Farrow found nude photographs of Previn in Allen's home. Allen, then 56, told Farrow that he had taken the photos the day before, approximately two weeks after he and Previn had first had sexual intercourse.[16] A judicial investigation concluded that Allen and Previn started their sexual relationship in December 1991.[15] Farrow contends that she broke off her relationship with Allen in 1992 following her discovery of the affair;[17][8] Previn and Allen dispute that, claiming that Allen and Farrow were no longer dating when Farrow discovered the photos.[13] Previn was a college student when her relationship with Allen began.[18][19] Allen described his relationship with Previn as a "fling" that developed into a more significant relationship.[20] He has called his role in their relationship since their 1997 marriage "paternal".[21][8][6][22] On August 17, 1992, Allen issued a statement saying that he was in love with Previn.[23]

Previn's relationship with Allen became public and "erupted into tabloid headlines and late-night monologues in August 1992."[24] As of 2018, Previn remained estranged from Farrow.[25]

Previn married Allen in Venice on December 22, 1997.[12] They have adopted two children together: Bechet Dumaine Allen and Manzie Tio Allen.[20][26] The family resides on Manhattan's Upper East Side.[27]