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Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow‘s marriage in the 1960s was a subject of scrutiny at the time, and Farrow’s relationships continue to be in the spotlight today as a result of the new HBO docuseries Allen v. Farrow. But despite their marriage only lasting a few years, many people wonder about its lasting effects — including paternity on Sinatra’s part.

Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow exchange fond glances following their wedding on July 19, 1966, at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas | Bettmann via Getty Images
Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow exchange fond glances following their wedding on July 19, 1966, at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas | Bettmann via Getty Images

Mia Farrow and Frank Sinatra’s whirlwind relationship

Sinatra and Farrow met in 1964 when Farrow was 19 and Sinatra was 49. Farrow was a new actor who starred on the show Peyton’s Place and Sinatra was an established figure in the entertainment industry. 

According to J. Randy Taraborrelli’s book, Frank Sinatra: Behind the Legend, Sinatra immediately fell in love with Farrow after she accidentally spilled out the contents of her purse. “I was hers, instantly,” the singer recalled. “I loved that hair, man. I think the hair’s what got me.”

The two tied the knot in 1966 but they both had very different ideas about what their marriage would be. Sinatra wanted Farrow to be a housewife whose husband provides for her, while Farrow was a passionate actor who refused to give up her craft.

Sinatra urged Farrow to drop out of her breakout movie, Rosemary’s Baby, but she refused. The singer then served her with divorce papers in 1968.

Mia Farrow posed with a crow perched on her arm
Mia Farrow in ‘Peyton Place’ | Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Mia Farrow had 13 children

Farrow married German composer André Previn in 1970 and the two had several children together: three biological children as well as three adopted children from Asia. The most well-known of these children is Soon-Yi Previn, who is married to Farrow’s ex Woody Allen.

After divorcing Previn in 1980, Farrow adopted another child from Asia, Moses, as well as a daughter, Dylan. She soon began her twelve-year relationship with Allen, resulting in Farrow’s fourth and final biological child, Ronan. Following their split in the early ’90s, Farrow adopted five more children for a grand total of 13.

Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow | Bill Eppridge/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images
Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow | Bill Eppridge/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images
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Frank Sinatra’s possible paternity with Mia Farrow

Ronan Farrow is an accomplished investigative journalist today who has won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment story. It’s been commonly recognized that Ronan Farrow’s father is Allen due to his being born in 1987 during his relationship with Mia, but Ronan’s paternity might not be that certain.

Farrow discussed Ronan’s paternity and much more in a 2013 interview with Vanity Fair. She stated simply that Sinatra could “possibly” be Ronan’s biological father and that they “never really split up” after their divorce. No paternity tests have been done, so the identity of Ronan Farrow’s true biological father remains a mystery to this day.

For his part, Ronan Farrow poked fun at the story in a since-deleted tweet: “Listen, we’re all *possibly* Frank Sinatra’s son.”

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