Woody Allen’s Wife Soon-Yi Previn: Marriage, Background, Daughters, and Life Today
Woody Allen’s wife is Soon-Yi Previn, a private figure whose name became internationally known in the early 1990s and has remained tied to one of Hollywood’s most controversial relationship stories. While Allen is a world-famous filmmaker, Soon-Yi has largely avoided public life, appearing only occasionally and keeping her family out of the spotlight. Here’s what’s reliably known about who she is, how the relationship began, when they married, and what their life looks like now.
Who is Woody Allen’s wife?
Woody Allen is married to Soon-Yi Previn. They married in December 1997 and have two adopted daughters together, Bechet and Manzie.
Who is Soon-Yi Previn?
Soon-Yi Previn was born in South Korea and was adopted by actress Mia Farrow and conductor-composer André Previn in 1978. She later attended college and has been described in reporting as living a largely private, family-focused life.
Unlike many celebrity spouses, Soon-Yi has never built a public-facing brand around fame. Most of what the public knows comes from major reporting around key events—especially the early-1990s scandal, the 1997 marriage, and occasional sightings or interviews connected to Allen’s career.
How Soon-Yi Previn is connected to Mia Farrow and André Previn
Soon-Yi was adopted by Mia Farrow and André Previn while they were married. After Farrow and Previn separated, Farrow later began a long-term relationship with Woody Allen (they were never married). This family structure is central to why the relationship between Allen and Soon-Yi later drew such intense attention: Soon-Yi was Farrow’s adopted daughter, and Allen was Farrow’s partner at the time.
When did Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn’s relationship begin?
Public accounts generally place the start of their romantic relationship in the early 1990s, coming to light in 1992 when Mia Farrow discovered nude photos of Soon-Yi in Allen’s apartment—an event that triggered an immediate split and a media firestorm.
Soon-Yi has said Allen was not a father figure to her and that they were not close during much of her childhood; many summaries also state their interactions were limited before the relationship turned romantic.
When did they get married?
Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn married in December 1997. The date is commonly reported as December 22, 1997.
Do Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn have children?
Yes. They adopted two daughters: Bechet Dumaine Allen and Manzie Tio Allen. The couple has kept their children mostly out of public view, and most reliable mentions of them appear in straightforward biographical coverage rather than frequent interviews or public posts.
What their life together is reportedly like
Over the years, the accounts that do exist tend to describe a quiet domestic life in New York, with Soon-Yi playing a central role in family routines and parenting. The couple has remained together for decades, adopting two daughters and maintaining a relatively private home life despite the ongoing controversy surrounding Allen.
They also make occasional public appearances, which draw attention mainly because they are rarely seen out together.
The controversy, handled plainly
The relationship between Allen and Soon-Yi has been controversial since it became public in 1992, largely because of its connection to Mia Farrow’s family. The situation intensified further because Allen has faced longstanding sexual abuse allegations from Dylan Farrow (another of Farrow’s adopted children), which Allen has repeatedly denied. Those allegations and denials have remained a major part of the public debate around him for years.
Soon-Yi, for her part, has defended Allen publicly in some interviews and profiles, while also remaining largely estranged from Mia Farrow according to widely reported accounts.
Quick facts
- Woody Allen’s wife: Soon-Yi Previn
- Married: December 1997
- Children: Two adopted daughters, Bechet and Manzie
- Background: Born in South Korea; adopted by Mia Farrow and André Previn in 1978
