Woody Allen gives rare insight into 35-year age gap relationship after marrying his ex's daughter

Woody Allen has given a rare look into his marriage to a woman 35 years younger than him.

Allen, 89, and Soon-Yi Previn, 54, married in 1997, and have two daughters, Bechet, 26, and Manzie, 25, whom they adopted.

The comedian and director sat down with The Wall Street Journal to promote his new novel, What's with Baum?, and spoke about the relationship, calling Soon-Yi 'disciplined', 'decisive', and 'a wonderful mother'.

Their relationship is mired in controversy, with Soon-Yi being the adopted daughter of Mia Farrow, whom Allen was in a relationship with when they began having an affair that was a factor in the relationship with Farrow breaking down.

Allen and Previn (Rocco Spaziani/Archivio Spaziani/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Allen opened up about his marriage, saying: “If anyone had told me years ago that I would be married to a girl much younger than me with no background in New York or none of the similar interests growing up and that she’d be a Korean orphan, I would have said, ‘No chance. I’m going to be married to a New York actress'."

He added: "But it didn’t work out that way.”

HBO Docuseries Allen vs Farrow examined the breakdown of the relationship, including allegations made by Mia Farrow's daughter Dylan Farrow that Allen sexually assaulted her as a child.

Allen has repeatedly denied the allegations, and hit out at people who have since refused to work with him as a result.

“I would think they would have more common sense, when they read about the situation," he told the Wall Street Journal.

They have been married since 1997 (Denny Keeler / Contributor)

"What surprises me always is how ready and willing people are to embrace it. I would think someone reading the details would think, ‘That’s a little dicey looking to me’. ”

Responding to Allen's comments, Dylan told The Wall Street Journal in a statement: “I am sick and tired of the misogynistic and unscientific narrative that I was coached or brainwashed. Far from it, this is a truth I reported as a child and have continued to recount consistently since.

"I am a 40-year-old woman. I was sexually assaulted by Woody Allen.”

Elsewhere during the interview, Allen said that all of his 'many' regrets were professional.

He said: "I wish I didn’t do this film, I wish I had made this film better, I wish I had shot this scene differently, I wish I had not written this, I wish I had gone in that direction."