What happened to Harlene Rosen after her marriage to Woody Allen?
Harlene Rosen was the first wife of filmmaker and comedian Woody Allen. She got married as a teenager, and their six-year marriage became a topic in his early standup comedy, leading to a defamation case and a bitter divorce.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Harlene Rosen married American comedian and filmmaker Woody Allen at 17, and he was 20.
- The former couple got married in 1956 and divorced in 1962.
- Harlene and Allen had no children.
- Their relationship became strained when Allen began mocking Harlene on his comedy shows.
- Harlene's spousal support was $75 per week and up to $175 weekly if he got a steady job until she remarried.
Profile summary
Real name | Harlene Susan Rosen |
Gender | Female |
Year of birth | 1940 |
Age | 85 years old (as of 2025) |
Place of birth | Brooklyn, New York, USA |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | Jewish |
Religion | Judaism |
Sexuality | Straight |
Father | Julius Rosen |
Marital status | Divorced |
Ex-spouse | Woody Allen |
Harlene Rosen's bio
Harlene Rosen was born in 1940 in America. She is an American national of Jewish ethnicity. Rosen's family details are not public, but she grew up practicing Judaism.
A look into Harlene Rosen and Woody Allen's marriage
Harlene Rosen and Woody Allen got engaged in 1955, when she was 16 and he was 19. The two got married the following year, in 1956, both relatively young and immature for marriage. Rosen had played the piano in his jazz band.
Their marriage turned rocky early on, and they did not have a honeymoon period. Woody admitted this in his comedies and later writings, which was partly due to his own bad attitude and immaturity.
Harlene Rose became the subject of Woody Allen's jokes
Source: Getty Images
During and after their marriage, Woody Allen frequently made Rosen the subject of his comedy, mocking her publicly. According to Daily Mail UK, the renowned comedian once referred to her as 'Quasimodo' during a nightclub act.
These jokes led to a defamation lawsuit filed by Rosen against the American comedian in the late 1960s. Eventually, a cease and desist order was issued, and the matter was settled out of court.
Harlene Rose and Woody Allen's bitter divorce
Harlene and Wood's marriage did not last long. They separated three years into the marriage in 1959, and their divorce was finalised in 1962, ending their six-year union.
The final divorce settlement ordered the American filmmaker to pay Rosen alimony of $75 per week, increasing to $175 weekly once he secured a steady job. This was a significant amount, as Woody Allen's earnings had risen to $1,500 per week by the time the divorce was finalised, according to TIME.
Source: Getty Images
Woody went on to remarry, tying the knot with American actress and television writer Louise Lasser in 1966. However, he divorced her in 1970, but continued to work together.
Woody later dated actress Mia Farrow in 1980, with whom he had one biological child and two adopted children. They parted ways after she found inappropriate photos of her other adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn, and Woody.
In 1997, the Oscar-winning filmmaker married Soon-Yi Previn, and they have remained together since then.
Harlene Rose publicly forgave Woody Allen
In 2015, Harlene Rosen publicly expressed forgiveness and kindness towards Allen. She acknowledged that despite their young age and the difficulties of their marriage, they both grew and learned from the experience.
Source: Getty Images
According to The Mirror, she sent biographer David Evanier a statement that was to be included in his book, Woody: The Biography, which read:
Wondrous Woody, you inspired me with your enormous energy, creativity, and charisma... After our teenage summer of love, marriage was difficult... You established a career. I completed four years of college. We supported each other, learnt about life, and became adults. There was sadness, tears, laughter, and love.
Where is Harlene Rosen now?
Harlene Rosen, Woody Allen's first wife, has chosen a private life away from the limelight and Hollywood. Though her exact current location is not publicly documented, she is around 85 years old.
FAQs
- Who is Harlene Rosen? She is Woody Allen's first wife.
- Who is Woody Allen? He is an award-winning filmmaker and comedian from the United States.
- What is Harlene Rosen's age? She is approximately 85 years of age as of 2025. Rosen was born in 1940.
- Is Harlene Rosen still alive? Woody Allen's first wife is still alive, as there are no reports of her death.
- What happened between Harlene Rosen and Woody Allen? The two had a bitter divorce six years after they married.
- Why did Harlene Rosen and Woody Allen get a divorce? The American comedian started mocking his then-wife on his comedy shows.
- Where is Woody Allen now? According to Variety, the filmmaker is currently in Madrid, Spain, where he plans to direct his next film in 2026.
Harlene Rosen became known as Woody Allen's forgotten first wife. The two got married as teenagers but divorced six years later. Although Woody Allen made it big in Hollywood, Rosen chose to remain out of the spotlight.
Legit.ng published an article about Diane Haughton's life. Diane was the manager and mother of the R&B singer Aaliyah. After Aaliyah died in a plane crash in 2001, Diane has focused on protecting her daughter's memory and dealing with legal issues.
Diane Haughton was born in New York City in 1951. She is dealing with a legal issue, but her primary focus is protecting and preserving Aaliyah's memory and work. Find out more about Diane Haughton in this post.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
