Mia Farrow and André Previn Adopted Soon-Yi in 1978 — a Year Before Their Divorce
Published March 1 2021, 5:48 p.m. ET
The four-episode-long HBO miniseries Allen v. Farrow takes a new look at Mia Farrow's turbulent relationship with long-time creative collaborator and romantic partner Woody Allen.
The relationship famously came to an end in 1992 when the controversial director started dating Soon-Yi Previn. But what's there to know about their individual background stories? Who is Mia's ex-husband André Previn — and why did they get a divorce?
Mia Farrow started dating André Previn in 1968. They got divorced in 1979.
"She does not exist" Mia's ex-husband, André Previn, described Soon-Yi's social standing in the broader family — Mia has 14 children — in a previous interview with Vanity Fair.
The rift between mother and daughter likely emerged once Mia stumbled upon a stack of photographs in Woody's Manhattan apartment. But before her much-publicized conflict with Woody began, Mia was in a committed relationship with André.
It's understood that Mia and André first met in London in 1968.
Reportedly, Mia was working on A Dandy in Aspic, a spy-thriller directed by Anthony Mann. The casting of the film took place in 1967. Meanwhile, André was busy shaking things up over at the London Symphony Orchestra, where he was appointed as the principal conductor in 1968. Some believe that Mia, André, and his wife, Dory, may have lived together for a while.
André left Dory, his wife and long-term collaborator — with whom he worked on movie soundtracks like Valley of the Dolls — after learning about Mia's pregnancy with twins, Matthew and Sascha, in 1969. Mia gave birth to the beautiful twin boys on Feb. 26, 1970.
André's divorce was finalized in July 1970. Dory released a new album, "On My Way to Where" the same year, which also featured the song "Beware of Young Girls."
Reportedly, she was encouraged to write new songs while receiving therapy for the emotional turmoil resulting from her fallout with André.
André and Mia reportedly tied the knot on Sept. 11, 1970, at the Rosslyn Hill Chapel, a church located in the leafy borough of Hampstead, a clipping of Eugene Register-Guard archived on Google News shows. According to the clipping, André and Mia built a new home in the town of Reigate, Surrey, following the birth of the twins.
André and Mia adopted Soon-Yi in 1978.
The reasons behind Mia's divorce from André are unknown.
According to one interpretation, there's a chance that the relationship fell into pieces because of André's jealousy. However, the exact reasons behind the breakup are unclear.
André stepped down from his role at the LSO in 1979, having served 11 years as the principal conductor. He ended it with Mia around the same time.
Eager to start a new chapter, he soon plunged himself into other creative projects — such as a jazz album with legendary singer Ella Fitzgerald. "Nice Work If You Can Get It" came out in 1983.
Mia started working on a Broadway adaptation of Romantic Comedy, where she starred alongside Anthony Perkins, in 1979.
"I think I was hoping I could patch things up with André," she described the conflicted period in an interview with Vanity Fair.
Mia and Woody likely met at a New York restaurant around a year after her divorce from André.
Catch the next episode of Allen v. Farrow on Sunday, March 7, 2021, at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.
