Soon-Yi Previn defends Woody Allen against sexual assault claims, accuses Mia Farrow of abuse
Soon-Yi Previn, the wife of Woody Allen, is defending the filmmaker against sexual assault claims lodged against him by his adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow and ex-partner Mia Farrow in a New York magazine article.
Previn, the adopted daughter of Mia Farrow and Andre Previn, said she was "never interested in writing a Mommie Dearest, getting even with Mia -- none of that," explaining that "what's happened to Woody is so upsetting, so unjust."
In the article, Previn accuses Mia Farrow of "taking advantage of the #MeToo movement and parading Dylan as a victim."
Dylan Farrow told ABC News in a statement that she was offended by Previn's assertions.
"Woody Allen molested me when I was 7 years old, part of a documented pattern of inappropriate, abusive touching that led a judge to say there was no evidence I was coached and that it was unsafe for me to be in Woody Allen's presence," she said. "The author has written about her friendship and infatuation with Woody Allen. The idea of letting a friend of an alleged predator write a one-sided piece attacking the credibility of his victim is disgusting."
She went on, "No one is 'parading me around as a victim.' I continue to be an adult woman making a credible allegation unchanged for two decades, backed up by evidence."
Reporter Daphne Merkin acknowledged that she's been "friends with Allen for over four decades."
Two investigations into Dylan Farrow's claims against Allen were launched, including one by the New York State Department of Social Services. That investigation determined "no credible evidence was found that [Dylan] has been abused or maltreated," according to The New York Times.
Dylan Farrow's brother, Ronan Farrow, also issued a statement in response to the story, praising Mia Farrow as "a devoted mom who went through hell for her family all while creating a loving home for us." He accused Allen of "planting stories that attack and vilify my mother to deflect from my sister’s credible allegation of abuse."
"As a brother and a son, I’m angry that New York magazine would participate in this kind of a hit job, written by a longtime admirer and friend of Woody Allen’s," he said.
A spokesperson for the magazine addressed criticisms of the article in a statement to ABC News.
"This is a story about Soon-Yi Previn, and puts forward her perspective on what happened in her family," the statement said. "We believe she is entitled to be heard. Daphne Merkin’s relationship to Woody Allen is disclosed and is a part of the story, as is Soon-Yi’s reason for speaking out now. We hope people will read it for themselves."
Allen has long denied the allegations of sexual abuse, which were first leveled in 1993.
Previn also alleged in the story that her mother abused her as a child, claiming, among other things, that Mia Farrow became impatient with her while trying to teach her the alphabet to the point of throwing wooden blocks "at me or down on the floor."
She added, "Who can learn under that pressure?"
Previn, now 47, reportedly began dating the 82-year-old Allen when she was around 21. They married in 1997.
After the scandal originally broke, Mia Farrow sat down with Barbara Walters.
"I used to long to see her, but I think, I don't want to see her anymore," she said.
Seven out of nine of Mia Farrow's children told ABC News they're standing by their mother.
"We love and stand by our mom, who has always been a caring and giving parent," the siblings said in a statement. "None of us ever witnessed anything other than compassionate treatment in our home, which is why the courts granted sole custody to our mother of all her children. We reject any effort to deflect from Dylan's allegation by trying to vilify our mom. While we would rather not have to speak publicly about this painful time in our lives, we also couldn't be silent as she is once again unfairly attacked."
