The spring and summer of 1993 saw a bitterly fought battle between comedian Woody Allen and his former lover, actress Mia Farrow, over custody of their three children.
Allen filed for custody of the children following the disclosure that he had an affair with one of Farrow's adopted daughters, Soon Yi Previn, 19. Farrow, in turn, accused Allen of abusing their daughter Dylan.
On March 18, a team of experts from Yale-New Haven Hospital said they believed Allen did not abuse his daughter and that Dylan had been manipulated in a video tape where she accused Allen of abuse.
On June 7, a judge awarded custody of the children to Farrow, calling Allen a "self absorbed, untrustworthy and insensitive" parent. He criticized Allen for not living with Farrow and for not realizing the impact his affair with Soon Yi would have on the rest of the family. He gave Allen limited visiting rights.
Sept. 24, Frank Maco, the state attorney in Litchfield, Conn., said he was not going to prosecute Allen for abuse although he felt there was "probable cause" to do so. He said he was dropping the case to avoid requiring Dylan to appear in court. Allen responded angrily. He called Maco and Farrow "schemers" but also apologized to Farrow and called for a truce.
