Advertisement

Allen’s Adopted Son Sees Affair With Sister as ‘Ugly,’ Letter Says

Share via
TIMES STAFF WRITER

Woody Allen’s 14-year-old adopted son, enraged by the filmmaker’s affair with his older sister, wrote that he wished his father would kill himself if he tried to gain custody of the children he shared with Mia Farrow, according to a letter presented Tuesday as evidence in court.

“You have done a horrible, unforgivable, terrible, stupid, ugly thing. Those are my thoughts and feelings towards you,” the undated letter purportedly written to Allen by Moses Farrow said. “If you take us to court, you will be the one who will be so sorry. I hope you get so humiliated that you commit suicide.”

Allen charged that the letter was really written in large part by Farrow. He said he later played baseball with Moses after he received the note.

Advertisement

The producer and his leading lady exchanged charges of blackmail during their continuing custody trial. Under cross-examination, Allen said he had no present plans to marry Soon-Yi Farrow Previn, the 22-year-old adopted daughter of Farrow and her former husband, conductor Andre Previn.

He said that, after he started his relationship with Soon-Yi, a time came when Farrow “in a hysterical way” asked, “Would you marry me?”

“I said I would consider it,” Allen testified. “ . . . I said I was not seeing Soon-Yi. That was absolutely untrue.”

Advertisement

Allen said his real motive at the time was trying to control Farrow’s “eruptions” before the children. “There were threats of suicide and violence in front of the children,” he charged.

Allen and Farrow are fighting in New York State Supreme Court over custody of their 4-year-old biological son, Satchel, their adopted daughter, Dylan, 7, and Moses.

During her cross-examination of Allen on Tuesday, Eleanor Alter, one of Farrow’s lawyers, read aloud the six-paragraph letter addressed to “Woody.” It was not signed.

Advertisement

“Everyone knows not to have an affair with your son’s sister,” the letter said. “I just want you to know, I don’t consider you a father anymore. It was a great feeling having a father, but you have smashed that feeling and that dream with a single act. I hope you are proud to have crushed your son’s dream.”

Advertisement