Woody Allen opened up in a rare interview with NPR about his controversial relationship with his wife Soon-Yi Previn, the adopted daughter of his ex-partner Mia Farrow. Allen says that him and his wife have been able to maintain their 20-year marriage despite their 35-year age gap because of the "paternal" nature of their relationship.
"I lucked out in my last relationship. I've been married now for 20 years and it's been good. I think that was probably the odd factor that I'm so much older than the girl I married. I'm 35 years older, and somehow, through no fault of mine or hers, the dynamic worked. I was paternal," the filmmaker said. "She responded to someone paternal. I liked her youth and energy. She deferred to me, and I was happy to give her an enormous amount of decision-making just as a gift and let her take charge of so many things. She flourished. It was just a good luck thing."
Previn, 44, grew up alongside Allen, who lived and worked with Farrow, her adopted mother. Allen and Farrow's relationship deteriorated once she discovered intimate pictures of Previn in Allen's possession, according to People.
"I started the relationship with her and I thought it would just be a fling, it wouldn't be serious," Allen said in the interview. "Then we started going together, then we started living together, and we were enjoying it. And the age difference didn't seem to matter. It seemed to work in our favor, actually."
Allen's latest film "Irrational Man" is in theatres now.
