Woody Allen Professes His Love For Farrow's Adopted Daughter

NEW YORK - Like a character from one of his angst-ridden comedies, filmmaker Woody Allen says he has fallen for a much younger woman - the adopted daughter of Mia Farrow, his longtime leading lady on screen and off.

Allen, 56, confirmed yesterday that he is romantically involved with 21-year-old Soon-Yi Farrow Previn, whom Farrow adopted when she was married to conductor Andre Previn.

"Regarding my love for Soon-Yi - it's real and happily all true," the filmmaker said through a spokeswoman. "She's a lovely, intelligent, sensitive woman who has and continues to turn my life around in a wonderfully positive way."

Meanwhile, Connecticut State Police said an investigation is under way somehow involving Allen. Farrow's lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, was quoted by The New York Times today as saying the case concerns suspicions of sexual abuse of another of Farrow's children.

The police spokeswoman, who would not give her name, said the officer in charge of the investigation, Lt. John McGoldrick, had instructed her to comment that "there is nothing further to say except everything is under investigation." It was not known whether Allen is a suspect.

Allen's spokeswoman, Leslee Dart, told the Times, "Anybody who wants to can make a complaint, whether false or not false, and the police have to investigate."

Dershowitz said the investigation was spurred by a doctor who examined the child two weeks ago.

The physician, whose name was not disclosed, was required by state law to report to authorities that he had been asked to look for possible abuse, automatically triggering the investigation, the sources said. State police have been to Farrow's estate at least twice, one source said, as part of their investigation.

A source close to Allen said that the examination disclosed "no physical manifestations to support the claim" of abuse, while a Farrow supporter said that Allen's custody suit was designed to blunt the stories that have since surfaced about Allen and some of the children.

News of the Connecticut investigation came just hours after the 56-year-old filmmaker professed his love for Soon-Yi Farrow Previn.

Sources say that the affair was responsible for a burst of legal activity and personal attacks that have marked the nasty custody fight since Thursday, when Allen filed suit to gain custody of adopted daughter Dylan, 7; adopted son Moses, 14, and the couple's natural son, Satchel, 4.

Allen and Soon-Yi Farrow Previn, a sophomore at Drew University in Madison, N.J., reportedly started their affair about seven months ago, according to friends of Allen.

But as long ago as Jan. 23, 1990, they were photographed holding hands at a New York Knicks basketball game at Madison Square Garden. In court papers, she is said to be 21; but Farrow has told her attorneys that she is 19, and a New York television station reported last night that a brother of Soon-Yi, Fletcher Previn, said she is just 18.

Yet Allen insisted in his written statement that his relationship with Farrow's daughter had "no bearing whatsoever on my present application for custody of my three children. They are totally separate issues."

"The last thing I wanted to do was go to court. I have tried agonizingly to work out the details privately, but finally I was left with no alternative," Allen said.

Dershowitz denied Farrow was behind the allegation. "Any criminal investigation was not initiated by Mia Farrow. She has been and still remains interested in trying to resolve this thing," he said.

One source said that the director's affair with Soon-Yi Farrow Previn began long after domestic distress first surfaced between Allen and Farrow, who has appeared in 13 of his films. The two always maintained separate Manhattan addresses and never married.

Allen, as is his routine, played clarinet last night at Michael's Pub on East 55th Street, entering through an office building next door, accompanied by two escorts. He took the stage at 9 p.m., played to 10, and some patrons said the show was no different than usual.

A noted legal expert predicted yesterday that Allen's revelation probably kills his chances to obtain custody of the three children.

"I think her chances of keeping custody of the children are pretty good," said Marvin Mitchelson, the celebrity divorce lawyer.

But it is also likely, given recent trends in the courts to give joint custody to mothers and fathers, that Allen will be allowed to continue to see his children, Mitchelson said.

"You are talking about somebody who is a degenerate, to some degree," said Manhattan divorce lawyer Raoul Felder. "His chance of custody was between zero and none originally . . . This reflection on his moral character would preclude custody, and probably (unsupervised) visitation."

Farrow has four natural children - three of them while she was married to conductor Andre Previn - and seven adopted kids, including the Korean-born Soon-Yi.

-- Newsday also contributed to this report.