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Inside Frank Sinatra’s Ex-Wife Mia Farrow's Motherhood of 14 Kids, 3 of Whom Tragically Died

Oyin Balogun
Oct 05, 2021
09:40 A.M.

Frank Sinatra's former wife Mia Farrow was a mother of fourteen children, but after three died tragic deaths, she had to defend their memories by refuting nasty rumors that sprung up on social media.

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Mia Farrow is one of those with a lot of love to give. That's what people have believed and what most still choose to believe, even though there have been some malicious rumors circulating on social media about her.

The rumors paint a terrible picture of Mia, but she has denied them, and many of her kids came forward to defend her. In total, the beautiful woman had 14 kids; unfortunately, three passed away tragically, with 11 of them left.

Mia Farrow and Frank Sinatra after their wedding in Las Vegas on July 19, 1966. | Photo: Getty Images

Mia Farrow and Frank Sinatra after their wedding in Las Vegas on July 19, 1966. | Photo: Getty Images

Of the 14, she only gave birth to four herself; the other ten were all adopted. After the death of three, with the latest being Thaddeus, who died at the age of 27, they are down to seven. Meet Mia and learn about the controversy surrounding her kids.

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WHO IS MIA FARROW?

Mia Farrow is an American actress who's most famous for her role in the 1968's film "Rosemary's Baby." She was born on February 9, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, to director John Farrow and actress Maureen O'Sullivan.

Mia Farrow and Woody Allen in Paris, France on July 24, 1989 | Photo: Getty Images

Mia Farrow and Woody Allen in Paris, France on July 24, 1989 | Photo: Getty Images

Mia initially started her acting career with a part in her father's film "John Paul Jones" (1959); however, it was not until 1963 that she started to pursue acting as a career seriously.

She started on Broadway with her performance in an off-Broadway production of "The Importance of Earnest." The following year, she moved to TV, playing Alison Mackenzie in the nighttime drama "Peyton Place."

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Mia spent about two years on the show before she left to focus on movies where she made a name for herself playing vulnerable characters.

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HER COMPLICATED PERSONAL LIFE

Mia was an actress of impressive talent; however, her personal life seemed to have received more attention than her achievements in the movie industry. She was married to Frank Sinatra in 1966, but the union ended two years later in 1968.

Two years after she left Sinatra, Mia was married to Andre Pavin. The two welcomed three biological kids and adopted three daughters during their time together. They finally went their separate ways in 1979.

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After him, Mia started her long-term relationship with Woody Allen in the 1980s when she started appearing in his movies. Mia and Allen adopted two children while they were together.

They only had one biological child, Ronan. However, Allen cast doubt on the child's identity when he revealed he would not stake his life on the certainty that the boy was his; he allegedly claimed that the boy belongs to Sinatra.

The rumors and speculations were shot down by Tony Oppedisano, a close friend of Sinatra who revealed later in his memoir "Sinatra and Me: In The Wee Small Hours" that Mia and Sinatra remained great platonic friends after separating and things never turned romantic.

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Oppedisano revealed that all Sinatra was to Mia was a comforting shoulder when she was having trouble with Allen. The theory that Ronan was fathered by Sinatra first made headlines in 2013 after Mia expressed vagueness on the topic of who Ronan's real father is.

In response to the speculation, Ronan, who grew up to become a journalist with a relentless reputation, joked about how all of them (the kids) were "possibly" Sinatra's.

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Oppedisano believes that if Ronan had really been Sinatra's, the late singer would have acknowledged him. Mia and Allen split up in 1992 after she discovered he was involved in an affair with her adopted daughter, Soon-Yi.

Since Allen and Soon-Yi tied the knot in 1997, Mia has been estranged from the movie mogul. In her memoir "What Falls Away," Mia depicts Soon-Yi as a naive child corrupted by Allen.

Woody Allen and his family, daughter Manzie, wife Soon-Yi and daughter Bechet on December 31, 2003 in New York City | Photo: Getty Images

Woody Allen and his family, daughter Manzie, wife Soon-Yi and daughter Bechet on December 31, 2003 in New York City | Photo: Getty Images

RUMORS ABOUT THE DEATHS OF HER KIDS

Of the 14 kids that Mia had the privilege of raising, three are dead. An essay written by one of her adopted children, Moses, claimed that the actress abused them, with Soon-Yi being the most frequently abused.

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He said Tam, the first adoptive child to die, committed suicide by overdosing on pills, and he also hinted at his mother being partly responsible for the demise of Thaddeus and Lark.

However, other kids like Dylan and Ronan rose to Mia's defense, claiming that she had been nothing but supportive and caring to them all.

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When Mia broke her silence on the topic, she explained the circumstances surrounding her children's deaths while declaring that no other speculation was valid.

According to Mia, Tam died at age 17 from an accidental prescription drug overdose "related to the agonizing migraines she suffered, and her heart ailment."

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Lark, who she described as "an extraordinary woman, wonderful daughter, sister, partner and mother to her own children," allegedly died from complications of HIV/AIDS, which she had contracted from a previous partner.

Thaddeus, who died at 27, was living with his partner and was expected to get married; however, when the relationship ended abruptly, he could not deal with the pain and ended up taking his life.

Woody Allen and Mia Farrow on April 14, 1986 at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City | Photo: Getty Images

Woody Allen and Mia Farrow on April 14, 1986 at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City | Photo: Getty Images

THE KIDS WHO REMAIN

Farrow and second husband André Previn welcomed biological twin boys Matthew and Sascha Previn in 1970. Matthew graduated from Yale and Georgetown Law and now works as a lawyer in New York City.

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He is married to fellow lawyer Tarnisha Antoinette Graves, and they have two kids together. His twin Sascha is a graduate of Fordham University and is a stay-at-home dad who cares for his daughter with his second wife.

Fletcher Previn, the third biological son of Mia and her second husband, graduated from Connecticut College in 2000 and worked as an executive assistant at IBM. His wife is a graphic designer, and they share two girls.

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Summer "Daisy" Previn was born in 1974 and adopted from Vietnam in 1976 by Mia and Previn. She married Lark's husband's brother after becoming pregnant, but after they split, she moved on with a musician. Daisy currently works as a construction manager in Brooklyn.

Soon-Yi Previn was born in 1970 and adopted in 1978 from Korea, just one year before Mia and Previn went their separate ways. She is married to Allen, and they have two adopted kids together.

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Mia adopted Moses Farrow after she ended her marriage with Previn. He was a two-year-old boy from Korea with cerebral palsy when he was adopted in 1980. He currently resides in Connecticut, where he has a family and works as a licensed family therapist.

Dylan Farrow was adopted as a baby from Texas in 1985. Dylan now works as a writer and has welcomed her first child, daughter Evangeline, with her husband.

Ronan Farrow was born after repeated attempts to conceive by Mia and Allen. He was named Satchel at birth, but he changed his name to Ronan in 1987.

Dylan Farrow and Mia Farrow at the Time Warner Center on April 26, 2016 in New York City. | Photo: Getty Images

Dylan Farrow and Mia Farrow at the Time Warner Center on April 26, 2016 in New York City. | Photo: Getty Images

He graduated from Bard College at only 15 years old and earned a degree from Yale Law School in 2009 while serving as a UNICEF ambassador.

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Isaiah Farrow was adopted the same week as his late sister Tam in 1992. He attended the University of Connecticut and has made some appearances alongside his mom in the past.

Quincy Farrow was adopted into the family in 1994 when she was a year old. She was initially called Kaeli-Shea but, like Ronan, changed her name later in life. Frankie-Minh is the last child Mia adopted. She is a blind girl from Vietnam, and she joined the family in 1995.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, don't hesitate to get in touch with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "help" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

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