Woody Allen is offering rare insight into his life with Soon-Yi Previn as he promotes his latest project. In a Wall Street Journal interview published Wednesday, September 17, Allen, now 89, described his wife as more than a partner: she is a central figure in his life and career. He used words like “disciplined” and “decisive” to describe Previn, 54, and called her “a wonderful mother” with a “larger-than-life personality.” The Journal noted that Allen appears to view his wife as the social and cultural driver in the marriage and that she is “okay” with his new novel, saying she didn’t knock it and that she finds his writing style high-falutin.
The couple has been the subject of scrutiny for decades, dating back to Allen’s relationship with Mia Farrow in the 1980s. Previn is Farrow’s adopted daughter, and Allen dated Farrow from 1980 until 1992, when Farrow discovered the affair. During that period, Allen adopted two of Farrow’s children, Moses and Dylan, and the exes also share one biological son, Ronan Farrow, who is now an investigative journalist and estranged from his father. The affair sparked a high-profile custody battle and years of public debate over the ethics of Allen’s personal life.
Despite the controversy, Allen and Previn married in December 1997. They have two adopted daughters, Bechet, 26, and Manzie, 25, and their life together remains largely private. Allen told the Journal that his ideal date night is a theater visit at Lincoln Center, which he characterizes as a treat, underscoring how the arts have shaped their partnership. The pair have appeared infrequently in public, but they were photographed in various settings over the years, including red-carpet moments and quiet strolls through New York City.
Allen’s reflections also touched on the professional side of his life. He said there are many career regrets, noting, “I wish I didn’t do this film, I wish I had made this film better, I wish I had shot this scene differently, I wish I had not written this, I wish I had gone in that direction.” He added, “I could probably pluck out 15 of the 50 that you could keep and you could get rid of all the rest.” The interview comes as he continues to publish and promote his books, including What's with Baum?, which explores themes and anecdotes tied to his long career in film and culture.
The WSJ conversation also touched on the tension between private life and public perception. Allen acknowledged that his life did not unfold as he might have imagined—particularly the arc that led to his marriage to Previn, a choice he says he would not have scripted in advance. He described meeting someone who did not share his existing social circle or background and who happened to be much younger, a Korean orphan who became a central figure in his life. “If anyone had told me years ago that I would be married to a girl much younger than me with no background in New York or none of the similar interests growing up and that she’d be a Korean orphan, I would have said, ‘No chance. I’m going to be married to a New York actress,’” he said. But he added that life evolves in unexpected ways, and he found happiness in a union that has lasted nearly three decades.
Public and critical interest in Allen’s personal life remains high, and his stance in this interview signals no retreat from articulating his long relationship with Previn. He said she is comfortable with the life they’ve built, including his writing, and that she serves as a steady force in a relationship that has weathered intense scrutiny and public opinion. The interview also reinforces the cultural conversation around celebrity, family dynamics, and how public figures navigate intimate choices under constant media examination.
For readers curious about the couple’s modern life, the WSJ piece sketches a portrait of a partnership grounded in shared values around the arts, with Previn positioned as a driving influence behind their social and cultural rhythms. Allen’s own remarks about the theater, about how he and his wife attend performances together, and about the ambitions of his latest writing project, provide a window into a life that continues to captivate audiences decades after they first entered the public eye.
