HOME / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

How did Mia Farrow's children die? Truth behind the tragic deaths of Tam Farrow, Lark Previn and Thaddeus Wilk

'Some vicious rumors based on untruths have appeared online concerning the lives of three of my children,' Farrow wrote in her post

In a heartbreaking Twitter post, actress Mia Farrow opened up about the tragic deaths of her three children Tam, Lark and Thaddeus Farrow. The 76-year-old veteran actress posted her statement on Wednesday, March 31, to address the 'vicious rumors' circulating about their deaths recently. The alleged rumors are believed to have resurfaced with the recent HBO documentary series 'Allen v. Farrow', which showcased the longstanding problems between former partners Allen and Farrow. 

"Few families are perfect, and any parent who has suffered the loss of a child knows that pain is merciless and ceaseless. However, some vicious rumors based on untruths have appeared online concerning the lives of three of my children. To honor their memory, their children and every family that has dealt with the death of a child, I am posting this message," Farrow wrote in her Twitter post. On an emotional note, she shared, “As a mother of fourteen children, my family means everything to me. While I chose a career that placed me in the public arena, most of my children have elected to live very private lives. I respect each of their wishes, which is why I am selective in my social media posts."

READ MORE

Who was Tam Farrow? Woody Allen backer claims Mia Farrow erased daughter from family pic with Hillary Clinton

Woody Allen admits Ronan Farrow could be Mia Farrow's lovechild with Frank Sinatra in controversial memoir

How did Tam Farrow die?

Mia Farrow adopted her daughter Tam, who was blind, from Vietnam. In 2000, she died at the age of 17 years. At that time, Farrow's spokesperson declared that Tam had died from heart failure due to her 'weak heart'. While speaking about her death in her Wednesday's statement, Farrow wrote, "My beloved daughter Tam passed away at 17 from an accidental prescription overdose related to the agonizing migraines she suffered, and her heart ailment."

However, Farrow's statement tends to contradict a 2018 blog post by her son, Moses Farrow, titled 'A Son Speaks Out'. In the tell-all post, Moses addresses the feuds, tragedies and struggles plaguing his family. He speaks about his sister Tam's death in the same post, alleging that she committed suicide.

"In fact, Tam struggled with depression for much of her life, a situation exacerbated by my mother refusing to get her help, insisting that Tam was just ‘moody.’ One afternoon in 2000, after one final fight with Mia, which ended with my mother leaving the house, Tam committed suicide by overdosing on pills," Moses had written. He also added, "My mother would tell others that the drug overdose was accidental, saying that Tam, who was blind, didn’t know which pills she was taking. But Tam had both an ironclad memory and sense of spatial recognition. And, of course, blindness didn’t impair her ability to count." 

Mia Farrow had always vehemently denied any allegation of abusing her children in any way. 

How did Lark Previn die? 

Born in 1973 in Vietnam, Lark was the adoptive daughter of Mia Farrow with her former spouse André Previn. She was the first child to be adopted by Mia Farrow, among her 10 adopted children. She died on December 25, 2008, in Brooklyn, New York at the age of 35. 

About her tragic demise, Farrow wrote, "My daughter Lark was an extraordinary woman, a wonderful daughter, sister, partner and mother to her own children. She died at 35 from complications of HIV/AIDS, which she contracted from a previous partner. Despite her illness, she lived a fruitful and loving life with her children and longtime partner. She succumbed to her illness & died suddenly in the hospital on Christmas, in her partner’s arms."

Prior to her death, Lark had become the mother of two children. She first became pregnant close to her graduation from New York City nursing school. She dropped out because she had conceived the child of a convicted felon, according to Vanity Fair. 

In the aforementioned blog post, Moses Farrow mentioned his sister Lark as well, as he wrote, "'My sister Lark was another fatality. She wound up on a path of self-destruction, struggled with addiction, and eventually died in poverty from AIDS-related causes in 2008 at age 35."

How did Thaddeus Wilk Farrow die?

Thaddeus Wilk Farrow was adopted by Mia Farrow in 1994, years after her separation from Woody Allen. Thaddeus had contracted polio at an orphanage in India and was paralyzed from waist down. 

A 2013 article by Vanity Fair shared that he was studying to be a police officer. In the same article, he spoke about the experience of being adopted by a Hollywood star. "It was scary to be brought to a world of people whose language I did not understand, with different skin colors. The fact that everyone loved me was a new experience, overwhelming at first,” he said.

In September 2016, at the age of 29, Thaddeus died by suicide. He was found in his vehicle in Connecticut with a 'life-threatening injury' and later pronounced dead by the police. 

On her Wednesday's statement, Farrow wrote about Thaddeus, "My courageous son Thaddeus was 29 and happily living with his partner; we were all anticipating a wedding, but when the relationship abruptly ended, he took his own life."

She ended her emotional statement, saying, "These are unspeakable tragedies. Any other speculation about their deaths is to dishonor their lives and the lives of their children and loved ones. I am grateful to be the mother of fourteen children who have blessed me with sixteen grandchildren. Although we have known sorrow, our lives today are full of love and joy. Everyone has their own battle to fight; their own sorrows that gnaw. I send you my best hopes and my love.”